The Unavoidable War
by Kumitzin
Summary: Book 2 of A Potter's Death Saga. Harry finally arrives to Hogwarts to spend a much needed time with friends; But outside the castle walls, the clash of forces threatens to destroy everything that he has sworn to protect. War is here. HP/HG or HP/DG? AU
1. Intro

BOOK II: WAR

September 1st

Things were just as he remembered, and still everything had changed; _he_ had changed.

Harry Potter was no longer the skinny, impressionable young man he had been the first time he set foot on Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross.

Back then, he had arrived to the station with Hagrid and then left alone to his fend for himself in the strange world he had barely hear of; now he stood beside his adoptive family: His sister Elizabeth, his mother Silvia, and last but certainly not least, was his father: Drake Firefang. A man of regal stature that could easily compete in wisdom with the greatest men of the world… but none of them were his father; something he was increasingly proud of.

Their bodyguards cleared a path for them to walk easily thought the mass of parents and children wanting to board the Hogwarts Express; the movement caused more stir in the crowd then normally, but he supposed that was because of the attire the bodyguards wore: Full Kevlar & dragon skin suit, along with the black and red robes that distinguished his father's private army; also, each member wore, in addition to their wands, a 9mm pistol with magically enhanced bullets and a pair of dark glasses.

They must have made an impressive display for the civilians, specially the purely magical families, who had probably never seen a gun, or a tactical team.

Harry shook his head, amused, when he saw people looking at them and pointing, as he did, he felt his father's hand over his shoulder.

"Having fun?"

Even without looking up, Harry could tell that his father was smiling mischievously... now he was sure that Drake had brought the bodyguards more for show than anything else. After all, Harry and Elizabeth had trained with these men, and knew almost as much as they did… and about Drake… well he was in a completely different league than all of them summed up.

As if to confirm his suspicions, his mother pinched his father on the arm "_Drake_, what are you up to now?"

Immediately, Drake's smile became more natural, as he turned to his wife. "Nothing _you_ should worry about, dear" he winked and turned again to the front.

Their movement through the platform went uninterrupted until they were but a few feet away from the entrance to the train. Once there, Drake kneeled beside his children and gave each a slip of paper "Keep this paper with you at all times"

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, looking at it with puzzlement

"It's a Royal permit"

Both kids looked up with wide eyes "a what?" they chorused. Apparently their father was enjoying this immensely.

"A Royal permit." He repeated, with a smile still on his face "signed by the Queen herself. It will allow you to use your _special_ _abilities_ outside our premises, but _only in self defense_." His face and voice turned grave, wanting to emphasize the importance of that one rule "remember that you have been _trained_ to be much more than any normal person… and these skills shall be used with responsibility."

Their stoic faces meant more than their words, but the man still smiled when both said at the same time "Yes father."

"Apart from that, just remember to make friends, play, do some pranks, keep up to date with your homework and projects and have _a lot_ of fun."

Stoic faces evaporated, leaving behind similar wide grins.

Drake stood up, allowing his wife to say her goodbyes and give the children an equal set of heartfelt hugs and kisses; and just as she was finally starting to get up, he noticed the man he had been looking for.

Looking after Harry had been his pride and joy for the past five years, but now that the young man was going to school like all his brothers and sisters before, now it was time to set things in motion… specially if he expected his children to enjoy some time for themselves and away from the gruel training they had endured so far.

He still felt it was needed, since they would now have an easier time and would be prepared to deal with harsher and more difficult issues. Still, he wished this was the world where all the knowledge and experience he possessed wouldn't be needed… but wishing and doing were often set apart by an abysm.

"Dad?"

The man looked down to his youngest daughter and, like so many times before, marveled in the brilliance her should held, as well as the link of love that connected them… more than anyone else before, this girl had him wrapped around her little finger. Not even her adoptive mother, the still extremely beautiful Silvia Delacour, was able to compete with the devotion this innocent child made him feel. "Yes, Liz?" he kneeled before her with a smile, that cold only show a fraction of the importance she received in his heart.

"I love you daddy" she whispered with tear in her eyes, as her arms wrapped around his neck "and I am afraid."

That nearly brought tears to his eyes too, he brought his arms around her and picked her up with extreme care "My beloved Elizabeth" he whispered in her ear, trying to infuse his words with positive feelings "You, who are the Sun of my days and the Moon of my sky, how could I not possibly love you? Take comfort and hope in our bond young one, for the love that connects us is eternal." He placed a kiss on the top of her head "I love you, my sweet girl; and because of that, you will never be alone, because I'm right there beside you. Thus, do not fear, because it is the rule of the universe is that anything that is linked through love shall never be apart." He caressed her hair until her sobs subsided and she gave a great sigh, when he felt that she was a bit more composed, he pulled her a little away "You are the bravest and more incredible girl I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am sure you will do just fine."

Her smile was, indeed, the sun of his days.

Feeling much better, the girl hugged him again "Thank you daddy", and he placed her on the floor, where he took the time to approach his son.

"How do you do it?" the boy asked him when he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What, exactly?"

Harry brought his hand up to erase an errant tear "make me want to vomit from all the fluffiness and cry of happiness at the same time."

Drake laughed "I guess it's a talent acquired after years and years of practice." He offered the boy a confident grin "Perhaps I shall teach you some day. _Girls just love it_", he laughed again at his son's frown.

"No thanks… at least not now."

The man nodded, and took some time to gaze at the boy "you know I am very proud of you, right?"

It was Harry's turn to smile, somehow, this man's praise made him feel ten-feet-tall and bulletproof "Yes."

"Then let me tell you something you probably don't already know: I'm very proud to be able to call you my son. And that nothing that ever happens or is ever done will change that. _You are my son_ in all the ways that matter, should there be any doubt." He saw the boy was fighting tears again and decided to wrap thing up quickly "I know there will be hard times in both our futures, and that there is still much we must do and accomplish before we can call ourselves free from fate. But be sure Harry, be _very_ sure, that no matter where you go or what you do, that my spirit and my heart are always beside you. And that everything and anything I am I put to your disposition, to use it as you will."

"Damn" Harry cursed, unable to hold back the tears any more "you're good." He felt his father embrace him, and only inside the safety of his arms, did he allowed himself to shed the tears that were close to choking him.

A minute later, he sighed and took a step back; taking the handkerchief his mother offered him. "Thank you father, I may not be as eloquent, but I can tell you this: If I ever die, then fate better place the future me with you again… or I'm going to cause all kinds of hell until it does."

His father laughed out loud "You know I would gladly take you in… if you're kind enough to leave the world still standing, that is" now it was Harry's turn to laugh. "Look after your sister for me"

The boy nodded with conviction

"And do remember to write" Silvia added, taking her husband's hand, once he rose to his feet "_often_."

"_Yes mom_." Both kids chorused rolling her eyes, and making the adults chuckle.

They then say the children walk away with a pair of bodyguards trailing behind them, which didn't leave their charges until the red train began to move.

Drake and Silvia raised their hands to wave at their children as they left in the Hogwarts express, and didn't put them down until the transport disappeared in the distance.

"I'm going to miss them" Silvia sighed and erased the tears with the back of her hand "and I don't even want to imagine what you're going through right now."

To her surprise, her husband laughed "I'm used to goodbyes" he smiled back at her, but, even in his cheerfulness, she was that he was still slightly sad. "Besides, we'll see them in the holidays."

"Whatever are we going to do in the mean time?" she wondered.

"Well… it seems that we _do_ have a _lot_ of time in our hands, don't we?" his smile, just like the one that had won her heart over so many years ago, suddenly made her feel hot and wanton.

"You're incorrigible" she swatted his arm, but couldn't help the anticipation bubbling inside her.

"Will you accompany me then, milady? I have a carriage waiting for us" he wagged his eyebrows and bought her hand to his lips.

Her smile could have easily brightened the whole station.

As they turned to leave, a man crossed their path; instantly their bodyguards reacted, withdrawing wands and guns, closing lines in an instant.

"Ah" the man stiffened, but didn't lose his aristocratic demeanor "Forgive my rudeness, I merely wished to speak with your lord." With silky tone he spoke to the man in front of him, who only moved at a gesture from his General.

"Please forgive these men" Drake smiled, taking a step forward… he had been waiting for this to happen, and was the very reason he had brought such an impressive –but completely unnecessary– force "They are simply doing their job."

The man before him was pale and tall for an Englishman; his dress robes where of the most exquisite silk and the diamonds that shone brightly on both his wrists were genuine. As was his platinum hair, which he wore long and tied with a black lace behind his neck.

Before them stood Lucius Malfoy.

"I understand completely sir. It is, after all, the only sure way to keep the _filth_ away."

"Truly" Drake smiled at the haughty pureblood

The veiled insult passing completely over his head the blond man bowed "Lucius Arcturus of the Malfoy Clan, at your service" he offered his hand, which Drake shook.

"Drake Firefang, Count of Drakengard at yours." Inside, the Count smiled at the sudden widening of Lucius eyes at the mention of his title. "And this is my wife, Silvia, Countess of Drakengard."

The pureblood did the proper courtesy for a lady of her stature, and probably wondered how old she could be to look as she did.

"You must forgive my surprise, your Excellency, but it has been a while since I heard of another noble wizard of such stature. Could I perhaps ask about your residence?"

'_So soon?_' Drake was silently surprised, he had planned to have to convince Malfoy to ask them to a reunion in the following weeks, but the fact that he was making the opening right now was the mark that he had made a miscalculation, or that the pureblood was in some kind of a hurry. '_The question is why_' "The time I spend in England, I usually stay at my Manor in London; or the cottage in Buckingham Palace for shorter visits. But, and I must admit that I don't really regret this, my job keeps me and my wife at our Private Island, just north of the Empire."

Drake didn't need eyes to see the reaction those last words and _what they meant_, did to Lucius… he could actually feel his excitement and hear the wheels turning in his head.

"Then may I hope that your Excellency could honor our house with a visit, while you are in the mainland? My wife has been planning a ball for a few months now, and I know she, as I, would love to receive a visit from such a gentleman and his wife. Surely there is something of the empire that I can tempt you with?"

'_This is it_' Drake recognized the opportunity, and for Harry's sake, he ought to take it… even if he hated purebloods with a passion. He steeled his resolve and offered a silent prayer, placing himself in the hands of his God. "I regret to admit that there is but one thing that I have not had the time to experience."

That was it. The time of truth. He knew that whatever he said next, Malfoy would launch himself to like a starving wolf to a dying hare; ad there was no turning back… so whatever Malfoy had in store for him and his family, he would have to solve.

"A man of your stature milord?" Lucius nearly scoffed "I cannot, for the life of me, imagine what that could be."

"It is the most simplest of things, I'm afraid" Drake shrugged "I have never experienced what you call quiddich."

Just as he had predicted, Lucius bit the hook, assuring him that he _himself_ would see to it that when he left, he was an expert on the topic; in turn Drake accepted his invitation to the ball and even set the date for their next meeting.

As the blond man finally moved to the safe apparition zone and disappeared from the station, Silvia turned to him with a frown. "Why do I get the feeling that you had this all planned?"

He looked back at her with a serious expression "because I did" he took her by the arm and led them away from the station. He only spoke again until the door of the limousine closed behind them "That man has something that I need."

"Does this have anything to do with Harry and what you told us that day?"

Drake nodded. "More than what you can imagine."

"Why?"

He shook his head "There are secrets I can't even share with you, my love. Please just trust me."

Silvia sighed, remembering that those had been the very words that had led to their separation in the first place. But this time around she wasn't as stubborn or as nosy as when she was younger… she had learned her lesson well. If she was going to be with Drake, she must accept that he had secrets that couldn't and wouldn't be shared. No matter how much she asked and pleaded… mo matter how much it hurt them, Drake would never break a promise, would never reveal a secret, even with explicit permission to do so. That was simply the way he was, and she had to accept it.

Her younger self had been hurt deeply until she was able to understand that id he didn't share his secrets, it wasn't because he didn't trust her, but because he simply _couldn't_ speak of them. Somehow he had managed to, through some advanced magic; no doubt, prevent himself from ever uttering a word to someone who was not already in the secret.

She suspected that had been one of the reasons why his relationship with his sister had deteriorated so much in such a little time.

After minutes of silence, she decided that her love for him was still much stronger than her hurt feelings "Next time, at least warn me beforehand."

Drake gave her a smile and liked their hands, silently hoping, wishing that what had pushed Lucius hand was a miscalculation on his part… the other possibility was simply too dangerous to consider.

Harry and Liz boarded the train with plenty time to take a compartment for themselves, unshrunk their trunks and secure them in the rails above their heads.

The boy marveled at his wand, in which core resided the feather of Fawkes, Albus Dumbledore's phoenix, but not because he missed it –which he did–, but because it hadn't responded with the strength as it had done before. This was his wand, no doubt, even Ollivander had said so himself; but it was as if the wand was waiting _for something_. As if Harry was not who he should have been yet.

Ollivander had been puzzled as well, but not so, apparently, his father, for some odd reason. He tried asking him later on, but the man was so set in his secrets that it would have probably been easier to get some answers from a rock.

Liz elbowed him in the ribs, bringing him out of his reverie, only to see to door to their compartment open and a blond girl standing there, looking at them.

"I'm sorry" she said in a tone that reminded Harry of a princess of old "everywhere else is full, could I sit with you?"

Elizabeth smiled "Sure, want help with your luggage?"

"Yes, thank you very much." The unknown girl smiled a truly beautiful smile.

His sister got up and with a swish and flick of her wand got the girl's trunk above with the others.

The blond girl was more surprised at the fact that Liz had done magic outside school that at her silent casting "I didn't think we could do magic outside of school"

"Normally you can't" he answered from his seat "our father got us a special permission."

The girl nodded "Would there be a way to have him speak with my father? I always believed that it was such a waste not being able to practice outside school."

Elizabeth, who, apparently had taken a liking to the other girl, answered without losing her smile "I'm sure we can arrange something."

The girl covered her mouth with her hand in a way that almost made Harry smile "Oh but where are my manners? I am Daphne Greengrass." She offered a hand, which Liz took, while Harry recovered himself from the shock.

_This was Daphne Greengrass, as in Slytherin's Ice Queen?_

He must be dreaming,

Surely, he must be dreaming.

Another elbow to the ribs confirmed that he actually wasn't.

"It's _rude_ to stare, you know?" His sister glared at him.

Harry scratched his head "Please forgive, I… was simply caught unaware." He took shook her hand too "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

And if he wasn't surprised enough, her reaction sent him over the edge.

"Of course you are" her smile was still on and as pleasant as ever "The scar is a dead giveaway."

It was then that it hit him that he had been prancing around the station and train with the scar in plain sight, since he had his hair short now, as it was norm during training. At home in the Faroe Islands he had always been treated normally, which led him to forget about the scar, instead focusing on what was _behind_ it… like the fraction of Voldemort's soul, which he had to remove before he was able to kill his nemesis.

"You are the first person outside my family that hasn't overreacted when meeting me" he said without thinking, and then noticed that he had interrupted Daphne and Liz's conversation. "Sorry, I thought out loud."

Daphne smiled to him "Don't be troubled. I suppose it must be something of a shock to not have everyone awe at you." Her choice of words made him feel real bad.

"I didn't mean it like that" he corrected immediately "It is actually great to be treated normally outside my family; It's only that I never expected it to happen."

"Then you clearly haven't been around _decent_ people. Mother always says that famous people most wanted desire is usually to be treated as if they were anybody else." The girl shrugged "I think that if you have fame you should use it for your benefit, but everyone has their own opinion."

Was this girl really 11? He could hardly believe it. She sounded at least as knowledgeable as Hermione during her fourth year… which _was saying something. _Could it be that knowing so much had made set her so apart from others in the past-future, that she had had no other option but become the Ice Queen?

While he had been lost in his thoughts, Daphne and Liz were back to talking about some odd girlish topic that he could barely follow. However, they were again interrupted, this time by someone knocking before opening their door.

A girl Harry would even recognize in the dark stood on the doorway.

"Hello, could I bunk with you? Everywhere else is full." Hermione asked with a tired, but determined look. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."

This time it was Harry who stood, almost unable to believe his eyes. "Certainly, there's still space. Here let me help you with your luggage."

Daphne and Liz arched an eyebrow but said nothing, and even moved to a side to let Harry levitate the trunk out of the way without a word.

"Oh my god! How did you do that?" Hermione pressed with eyes wide as saucers. "Silent casting is so advanced it is only taught at Hogwarts _after_ fifth year."

Harry made a face and turned to Liz, who was equally astounded. "Really?" he asked

Hermione's face said everything he needed to know.

Again he turned to his sister who shrugged, thus he shrugged "our father taught us to do magic like this… we didn't even know it was advanced until you said so."

"We simply assumed everyone knew it too" Elizabeth added "I'm Liz, by the way"

Hermione opened her mouth and Harry instinctively knew what she was about to ask, so he interrupted before any damage was done. "You don't really want to ask her full name." he smiled at his sister's smug grin and Hermione's confusion "I'm Harry, his brother. And the girl beside you is Daphne."

The blond girl smiled at him, before turning and shaking hands with Hermione, as had them all.

"Are you two-" Hermione began, pointing at Harry and Liz.

Again, Harry knew the question "Brother and sister, yes."

"But you're not twins, how can you both have the same age?" the bushy haired girl asked

This time, however, it was Daphne who answered, surprising Harry again. "They are clearly adopted; hence the last names."

Liz smiled and pointed to herself "I'm a Firefang, and the klutz beside me is Potter."

An instant later, Harry hear the inevitable "Oh my god! You are Harry Potter!"

"_No? Really?_" Daphne's dry tone nearly drove them into hysterics.

But Harry saw Hermione's blush and remembered the fears and worries she had shared with him and Ron in his past life-time, and knew there was some damage control to be done.

"Don't worry Hermione" he said with a friendly smile "It happens to the best of us. Beside, your reaction scales in the last –and the most normal– place in our WTF list."

That got her curiosity working "WTF list?"

Liz nodded "Yeah, we tend to gauge people reaction to things we do or say." She caught up with his idea in an instant, god bless her. "Daphne's reaction scaled the top five" she turned to the blond girl and winked "that was why my brother got so worked up before."

Something in Daphne's nod made Harry believe that she knew that they knew that what they were saying was complete and utter bullshit; but how could he tell, he didn't know. Perhaps he could inquire later.

A little more calm, Hermione sat beside Daphne and began asking Harry about his knowledge of magic and silent casting, until the train rocked and began to move.

"Hey!" Harry noticed their parents waving from the platform "It's dad!" he threw open the window and got his head and arm out, leaving enough space for Liz to do the same.

"Bye dad! Bye mom!" Elizabeth grinned widely, al fears forgotten as she waved goodbye to her family, as did Harry.

"See you on the Holls!" Harry shouted with both hands around his mouth as the train moved away from the station.

Both sporting wide grins, they returned to their seats after closing the window and resumed talking with their new friends.


	2. The Sorting

1: The Sorting

The sweets trolley stopped at their door and Harry was finally released from Hermione's insistent questioning. In all truth he had thought he would be immune to it after spending so many years with the girl, but for all he knew, the girl had never seemed so _driven_; or so determinate to dissect him like a rare specimen.

As soon as he saw the woman of the trolley nearby, he jumped out of his seat "anyone fancy a treat?"

"Licorice wands" Daphne smiled from her seat, the very image of propriety "And a chocolate frog, if you please."

He stopped the lady and bought a bit of everything knowing that neither Hermione nor Elizabeth had tasted half of it, unlike Daphne and him. He dropped a galleon on the woman's hand and retreated back to his compartment, passing the sweets around. "Help yourselves to anything you fancy."

Hermione was the only who hesitated, reciting the mantra about her parents being dentists –comment that made Harry turn to the blond girl to gauge her reaction, and was again surprised when she didn't seem to care in the least–. He had always thought of Slytherins as a whole, same and equal to Malfoy in al senses. And it appeared that he had been wrong. Perhaps it was only Malfoy and his lackeys who seemed to have made it their mission to be nasty and despicable.

'_Then again, this girl hasn't been sorted into Slytherin yet._' He had to remind himself of the truth he had learned from Nicholas Flamel: This time around things would be different, because of his interference with the timeline, but also because he hadn't traveled backwards in time, as he thought as first… but he had been sent to another dimension. So he should be aware… no, more than aware, he should be wary of the differences, because they could present themselves as insignificant changes, but other could certainly prove to be more complicated and important.

Therefore, he had to gauge the consequences of these changes and decide whether to take action or let the universe flow as it should.

He looked around, and saw his sited taste every bit of sweet she could at the side of Hermione, who, once losing her initial inhibition was as enthusiastic as Elizabeth. In front of them was Daphne, giving pointers and some insights about the different kinds of sweets, and he felt almost at home. _Almost_. Because he knew that for all its glory, the marvel that was Hogwarts was still clouded by a small cloud, and he could feel that cloud closing on their compartment.

Harry took a deep breath to prevent himself from acting neither on instinct nor prejudice, as he rose from his seat and his hand closed on the handle, opening the door before the child outside could. "Yes?" he asked with a neutral voice.

The platinum haired kid halted in the process of reaching for the door "You must be Harry Potter."

The boy-who-lived arched an eyebrow "_Really_?" he could hear the sniggering of the girls behind him.

Malfoy waved the insult away "I am Draco Malfoy" he extended his hand to him, and for a moment Harry almost didn't shake it. In the end he decided nothing would change if he did.

"Harry Firefang" his smile was smug, and the girls laugh was getting much louder.

Draco's gaze went up to his forehead and the scare, before returning to his eyes like a mild glare "_Sure_. Well, if you see him, please tell him that Draco Malfoy passed by to offer his services." With a regal nod the kid moved along the corridor with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him.

Harry turned to the interior of the room "Sure, I'll point him to you if he ever needs a hairdresser"

Daphne emitted a rather un-lady like snort but tried to cover it like a rather nasty cough.

He was about to comment on that when someone patted his shoulder, and he turned around in an instant, wand clutched tightly in his hand and ready to pounce at the slightest warning.

The kid behind him gasped and collided with the wall in his attempt to escape from him.

And Harry instantly regretted his reaction; Neville had never had had much self-confidence… and as an 11 year old, he certainly hadn't time to develop any more. "Sorry friend didn't mean to scare you" he offered his hand, which Neville took.

"No problem, It happens all the time" his demure smile almost hurt Harry.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Oh right!" Longbottom blushed "I'm looking for Trevor, my toad. I lost him when boarding the train."

Harry nodded, and decided that to help a friend was a worthy cause to change the timeline a little. "I haven't seen it, but there is something I can do about that."

Neville looked puzzled.

Whipping his wand out again, Harry said "_Accio _Neville's toad." Just then the door to the last compartment opened and a big slimy toad flew out, causing whoever was inside the room to scream like a little girl. '_Wouldn't it be wonderful that it was Malfoy?_' He asked to nobody in particular before reflexively catching the toad and handing it to Neville with more care.

At that moment, he saw a blushing Malfoy look out of the compartment where the Trevor had flown from.

He bit his tongue to prevent himself from laughing and waved to Neville, before stepping inside his compartment and sharing the story with everybody.

For fifteen minutes nothing but laughter could be heard from the room.

The train ride continued until sunset, ample time for the four companions become friends. Soon Harry found himself enjoying the company of a rather sly Slytherin with a rather dry humor, and Hermione, who he had missed the most in the past years.

"Earth to Harry" his bushy haired friend snapped her fingers in front of his face to wake him up to reality again "You will get into a lot of trouble at school if you space out this easily" she frowned.

"That's Harry for you" Elizabeth sneered "there is nobody better to have at your side when in trouble, that is, it you're able to pull him out of his own little world."

The boy in question put out his tongue "at least _can_ think."

"Unlike our friendly neighborhood Malfoy" Daphne deadpanned, and as they laughed, Harry wondered if the girl knew about Spiderman or had it been just a coincidence.

Finally the train came to a stop and they walked out of the compartment, and into the station where Hagrid was already calling out for the first years.

"Fir's years! This way Fir's years!" he called with his usual booming voice and they all moved to his side.

Being here again was like a dream to Harry, and to be able to see his first true friend was _magical_.

He approached the semi-giant and waved "Hello Hagrid!"

The giant looked down and recognized him immediately "Blimey! There ye are Harry!" the man gave him a wide smile "the last time I saw you, ye' were a tiny little thing. Ye´ look a lot like your father, but you have-"

"My mother's eyes, I know" Harry returned the smile.

"That ye' do" The giant seemed to finally notice the girls around him "And who might this be?"

Harry turned "This here is my sister Liz, next to her is Daphne Greengrass and Hermione Granger"

"Hullo there" Hagrid waved at the girls and they waved back. "Be better if we begin moving to the lake" the giant scanned the crowd and called forth the remaining first years that kept milling around. "Come on firs' years, follow me!"

As the girls moved with the rest towards the lake, Harry hung back a little, allowing him some time to think.

He had been living in a castle for a while now, but there had always been something special about Hogwarts; and now that his training made him more aware of magic than ever before, he was finally able to knew what it was

There was magic in the air.

It wasn't a metaphor, but the actual truth. He could feel it against his skin, flowing into his body with every breath. No wonder he had always felt more at home in this castle than anywhere else.

Eventually he made it to the shore where the others were still boarding the boats, Liz and Hermione and Elizabeth shared one, leaving him to sit with Daphne.

"Everything alright?" the blond girl asked his as he approached

He nodded "Yes, I simply discovered something."

"Care to share?"

He could feel her eyes on his face, particularly on his silly grin, which turned mischievous as he turned to face her "Maybe later, I don't want to spoil the surprise."

Daphne rolled her eyes "I'll hold you to that."

They got inside the boat and sat together at the back, where there was enough room for them to seat together. Harry took a while to admire their surroundings, but when the boat began moving by itself, he heard the faint cry on his companion and turned to face her. If anything, Daphne seems afraid.

"You alright?" he asked, while instinctively placing his hands over hers.

Daphne's eyes moved first to his hand over hers, and then up to his eyes, where she must have found something, because she blushed and looked away whispering "I don't like water"

"I see." He could relate to that, until the second task of the Triwizard tournament, in his past life, he had barely ever been able to swim, it had only been his trademark Gryffindor courage and the gillyweeds, what kept him going this time around, however, he was more than apt; maybe he'd be able to teach her as his father had "Well, there's nothing to fear here because the giant squid will probably save you, even if I wasn't here."

The mere mention of the marine monster made her jump in her seat, grabbing his arm tightly, before turning to glare at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He gave her a sly grin "Maybe just a little bit. Besides, you shouldn't be looking down at the water, but up there"

Just as he pointed to the great rock before them, the boats cleared the mountain that over shadowed the lake.

Hogwarts appeared in all of its glory. The white castle walls glittering like gemstones under the moonlight.

None of the children could help the gasp that escaped their lips the first time they witnessed this splendid scene… which was precisely why Daphne looked down at him and asked. "You have been here before, haven't you?"

'_Damn. This girl is sharp.'_ She had seen right through his fake surprise. However, he saw no danger in simply telling her the truth. "Yes, years ago." That was by far the most truthful statement he had ever admitted to anyone beside his father, to whom he had told the whole story of the time travel; but still, not being able to tell the truth was eating away at his insides.

He felt her tug at his arm, and when he did turn a moment later, the boat had already arrived at its destination and was waiting for them to descent to the shore. Daphne hadn't moved of her place, so he opted to stand up first and help her out.

"Thank you, kind sir" she smiled, and he felt a strange tug at his heart, but waved it off as part of the maelstrom of feelings inside him.

"You're welcome milady." They looked at each other, before laughing together and moving up the stairs that would lead them to the castle.

As they walked outside of the cave, they noticed that there were now three people waiting for them: Elizabeth, Hermione and Draco Malfoy; the first and the last were seemingly having a heated argument, while their bushy haired friend tried to keep them apart.

"What is going on?" Harry asked with his hardest voice, which stopped everyone dead on their tracks.

Liz turned to him, and he noticed she had barely resisted the urge to snap at attention, as they usually did during training or on missions; "The pounce here _insists_ on waiting for you. I told him to sod off, but won't."

Draco, whom, Harry's tone had made him jump back, made a face at being called such names. Harry saw this and turned his attention to him "Mind explaining yourself Malfoy?"

Caught off guard, it took him a while to remember what he had come for "As I said on the train, Potter, I merely wish to offer my assistance."

Harry raised an eyebrow, suddenly alert "Why so much insistence?"

Draco shrugged "My father urged me to… besides you don't look like a bad person yourself."

The comment listed so high on his WTF list, that he had to blink a couple of times before he was able to answer. "Why did he-?"

"I sincerely don't know" Draco shrugged "but he can't fault me for not trying"

Was Draco sincerely afraid of his father, or was there something else? And where was the Draco Malfoy that was always so full of himself? Gone or hiding, waiting to pounce at the best moment?

Something was very wrong, he knew, but right now he didn't have the time to linger around. Sometimes the best way to disable a trap was to spring it on purpose, thus he offered his hand "If what you say is true then I might just take your word for it"

Smiling without any artifice or malice, Draco shook his hand "I'll make sure you won't regret it."

Feeling as if walking on a dream, Harry moved to the castle surrounded by the growing group of his friends.

"Abbot, Hannah!" McGonagall read from the list, and little blond haired girl with freckles walked up the stairs to seat at the stool and have the sorting hat placed on her head.

Elizabeth had heard that they would have to wrestle a Troll to be sorted into their houses and she had been giddy with excitement, until he had seen fit to inform her of the truth. Daphne and Hermione were still trying to suppress their giggles at her pout of disappointment.

The Sorting Hat shouted "Hufflepuff" after a moment and as the girl ran to take a seat at the table where everyone was applauding, McGonagall called the next name "Bones, Susan"; the Hat shouted "Hufflepuff" again and the sorting continued, name after name, while Harry and his friends discussed the Houses they would like to be in.

"I'll be in Slytherin, I assure you that. My family has always been sorted to Slytherin." Draco shrugged; apparently he wasn't at all concerned about the outcome.

"I'll probably be in Ravenclaw" Hermione smiled, probably thinking about all the books she would have access to one she was there.

"From what I've heard, you probably will" Liz sneered at Hermione's blush "and I'll be right beside you."

Harry chuckled when Hermione's face brightened at the comment. He should probably tell her about Gryffindor, but he didn't really want to intrude in her fantasy about books.

"What do you think you'll be Harry?" said book-loving friend asked him.

He shrugged "I'll bet you a Galleon that I'm going to end up in Gryffindor"

Draco frowned "I certainly hope not, most of them had little, if any, aptitude for magic. Not to mention quidditch."

Harry snorted "when I am sorted there, I'll make you eat your words" talking like that to Malfoy felt better than trying to comprehend why the boy wasn't being mean around him.

Said boy snorted back "I'd _like_ to see you try. I'll have you know that–"

"Firefang, Elizabeth!" McGonagall called from the front and she jumped.

"Wish me luck" she winked and walked confidently towards the stool. At that moment, Harry thought that she would probably make great Gryffindor.

The professor put the hat atop her head and they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Harry thought he had never been so nervous, than at that very moment, waiting for her sister to be sorted into her house. Would they be together? He hadn't had the presence of mind to think about that small fact. He felt his heart shrink at the possibility of being away from her… after all they had been through, he noticed that he really didn't want to part with her. But even as he realized that, the hat shouted for everyone to hear "RAVENCLAW!"

Not knowing about his dilemma, Liz actually smiled, jumped from the stool and walked to the table her house shared. Just as she was taking her place, she turned to him and winked, with a full smile on her lips.

That sobered him up a little, but was surprised when both Hermione and Daphne took his hands "Don't be sad" the bushy-haired one began "you will still be brother and sister."

"Besides, if what Malfoy says is true, then you will be having some classes with her as well."

"I'm acting like an idiot, aren't I?" Harry asked, the smile returning to his lips.

"Only a little" both girls chorused, and then giggled.

"Granger, Hermione"

Hermione tensed at hearing her name called, and gulped hard, before turning and mechanically walking to the front of the hall. She felt a small pressure on the back of her head and knew that her friends were watching with good wishes on their silent lips. However, the pressure turned out to be more than that, because when she was seated on the stool, before the hat was placed on her head, she saw Harry wink and heard _his_ voice inside her own mind. '_Everything will be fine_' the voice said '_you have nothing to worry about._'

And then the hat was placed on her head, drowning the voice.

'_Welcome back Miss Granger_' the hat said inside her mind.

'_You know me?_' she asked with her mind, her eyes as wide as saucers.

'_Yes. As you, probably already know, I sorted you in Gryffindor before._'

'_Then it is true!_' she gulped, remembering now the sleepless nights and the nightmares that had made her parents hire her a therapist and a psychologist.

'_I'm afraid so. The good and the bad. But perhaps now that you know what is to happen, perhaps you will have the chance to change things… as you have been doing since the train._'

'_You know of that?_' she blushed '_but of course you can, if you can read minds._'

'_So where shall we put you this time? Gryffindor proved to be good for you in the long run, but I doubt that _that_ approach will help you anymore, this time around._'

'_I learned what I needed from Ron and the other kid. Now I think it's time to focus on acquiring knowledge that can actually _help'.

'_Then I think it best that this time is_' "RAVENCLAW!"

'_Is _he_ here?_' Hermione asked the hat before it was removed from her head.

"He's watching you at the very moment" the hat said and its front moved in a way that made her believe it was a wink.

Just as Liz had done before, she jumped down and ran to her table; noticing Harry's slightly stricken face, to who she offered a wink before turning to meet her new class mates.

Harry kept gaping at Hermione, until Daphne saw fit to close his mouth, pushing his chin with a finger. "You're staring Harry" she chided.

The boy shook his head before turning to her "I just actually never thought she would make it to Ravenclaw" he winked

"Better there than in Slytherin" Daphne grimaced, and Harry stared at her

"Why do you say that?" he asked, but her name was called then, and she sighed.

Yet as she walked to the front, Harry could see her changing demeanor. From the open and sharp witted girl, she changed into the epitome of calm and cold calculation… she had become the Ice Queen.

It took a little while for the Hat to decide, and as it shouted the name of the house Harry knew she would end at, he couldn't help but feel for the girl whose demeanor showed him how much it hurt her to be placed there.

He felt Malfoy move beside him, and he turned to him.

"Look at her" The blond boy said "If I hadn't seen her before the sorting, I might have thought that to be her normal way… her mask of indifference is perfect."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

Draco shrugged "Just sharing a thought."

But the boy was right. If Harry hadn't met her on the train this time around, he would have never been able to set her apart from the Ice Queen persona he knew… now however, he felt pity for her.

Draco was about to say something else, but then his name was called and he grinned. "Potter" he nodded and moved to the front, where the hat placed him on Slytherin as soon as it touched his head. The table exploded in applause, and even then, Harry noted that Daphne was still acting her part.

The stern Deputy-headmistress kept calling names after that, Moon… Nott… Parkinson, later were the Patil twins, then Perks, Sally-Anne and finally.

"Potter, Harry!"

The room fell into silence instantly, as he took a step forward and felt all the eyes of the room on him, the murmuring began.

"Harry Potter?"

"_The_ Harry Potter?"

People rose on their seat to take a look at him, and he smiled confidently, his eyes rising to the only man in the room who, he was sure, would be smiling down at him.

His green eyes met silvery blue that twinkled in merriment.

Dumbledore nodded at him, with a smile on his face, and Harry returned both.

When he finally sat on the stool and the hat was dropped over his head.

'_Ah! Welcome back to you too, Mr. Potter._'

Harry smiled when the voice of the aged hat floated in his mind, even if its greeting made him a little nervous '_Hello Sorting Hat. What do you mean by _welcome back_?_'

'_If I had eyebrows, one would surely be arched. Do you pretend to tell me that you do not remember your last time here?_'

Harry heard himself gasp '_You mean you do? But how is that possible?_'

'_Magic makes everything possible, hasn't you tutor told you that? Good man Drake, but he is a little too secretive for my tastes_'

Now the boy's head was reeling '_Wha-?_'

'_Now now, you shouldn't be that surprised. Your tutor…. Forgive me. Your adoptive father _was_ a teacher in this school, some decades ago._' The hat moved over his head '_but I digress. Last time I sorted you into Gryffindor, by per your request, now however, I think it best that you go to_' "SLYTHERIN!"

"WHAT THE FUCK!"


	3. Slytherin

A/N: I seem to be in a frenzy... can you believe that I haven't been able to stop writing for this fic in like 5 days? Wiii ^^

At least I'm getting things done now.

And I still need a Beta 'cause Word's Spelling and Grammar Corrector can only do so much.

*Special Thanks to Goku90504 for pointing out some of the mistakes of the previous chapters ;) *

Warning: Slightly lemon flavored scene in this chapter... not for the fain of heart... or the office =P

* * *

2: Slytherin

Harry jumped from his seat and turned to stare at the Hat, still unable to believe what he had heard. "What the fuck!" He repeated and felt the stern professor frown at his choice of words, but he couldn't care less. He must have heard wrong.

"It said Slytherin" the Boy-who-lived saw Dumbledore stand up from his seat, a smile on his lips that didn't reach his eyes. "Perhaps it is best for you to go to your table now"

He couldn't believe what was happening, or why Dumbledore allowed any of it. He _should_ have been in Gryffindor, not Slytherin. If he wasn't, then he would be just like Vol-

Before he could finish that thought, he heard the distinctive voice of the Dumbledore of another time in his head. "What sets you apart from him is not what where you live, or who your friends are, but your choices." And as sudden as the thought had come to him, he saw the real Dumbledore's eyes go wide and blink in surprise. Had he heard it too?

Harry frowned, glared at the hat and moved to the table that had stopped applauding as soon as they had started. And even as he sat, his mind still in turmoil, he couldn't help but notice the small smile that briefly melted Daphne's icy exterior, or the wide grin in Draco's face.

Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

'_Then again,_ _I could be wrong_' he said to himself, when they were all lead to the dungeons and the entrance to the Slytherin Common room; all the while, Daphne had been at his side, as if she felt safe with him. Something that he found increasingly amusing, when he compared her to her other-self from his memories.

Marcus Flint, just as troll-faced as he ever was, pushed a panel on the wall and the bricks moved to create a door that he went through before them, only to stop before a great golden arch, comprised by the long necks of two snakes that twisted at the top and then looked down at them.

"This is the golden arch of Slytherin"

Harry couldn't stop himself from asking "No, _really?_" with a tone dripping sarcasm.

Most of the first years giggled but stopped short as Marcus glared at them. "You think you're so smart Potter?" he asked with a nasty glare

"Clearly you aren't" he smirked again, uncaring that the boy was at least twice his size. This time the other first years gasped. But if he was going to be in Slytherin, he _would_ be changing a few things… 'Well maybe more than a few' he thought as he saw the fear the other children showed in front of the prefect. "I mean, '_the golden arch of Slytherin_', even a five-year-old can guess at that. "

Flint was seething with rage, but as he took a step forward, a back-haired girl placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him. "I guess there is finally one who won't put up with your antics" the girl smiled condescendingly at Marcus and took a step forward toward the children.

Whoever this was, the girl was easily the most gorgeous of the school and, Harry thought, she might even be as good-looking as Silvia Delacour in her early years. He wouldn't be at al amazed if someone told him that she was _at least_ part veela.

Said girl smiled to him, flicking her long hair behind her ears "My name is Veronica. I'm in fifth year and am a prefect along with Marcus here." She pointed to the still-fuming boy with a gesture that was all grace, yet as she turned to face him, all that was written on her face was disdain. Veronica rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry the smile back on her beautiful face.

"I'm Harry." He nodded in her direction "I suppose we have to walk under the arch so that the snakes deem us worthy, right?"

Her smile widened "You are indeed, right, Harry. However did you know?"

Harry shrugged "common sense."

She moved to a side "Well, would you be a dear and demonstrate to your peers how it is done?"

He could see that one coming miles away; still he shrugged and walked forward, faintly noticing Flint's nasty sneer… he was probably hoping something bad would happen to him.

As he took the first step into the room where the arch stood, the snakes moved their bodies to face him and also preventing him to go forward. The kids behind him gasped and probably even moved back, but he wasn't worried… after all he had faced the king of serpents and prevailed when he was but twelve… what harm could these statues do to him now that he was far more knowledgeable and more powerful than before? He smirked and took a bold step forward.

The snake on his right hissed "_Stop where you are peasant!_", while the left said "_You are not yet worthy to walk among the greatest!_"

Harry hissed back "_Shut up!_"

The snakes were taken aback by his forcefulness and the power that they were able to sense seething inside him, begging to be released. "_You speak the maker's tongue?_" they hissed together, staring at him in awe.

"_That's none of your business. Now let me pass._"

"_Yess Masster_" The snakes moved to let him pass, and he didn't look back until he was on the other side… only then did he notice that everyone was staring at him wide-eyed and with a fair amount of fear.

"What?" he asked to nobody in particular, until something the snakes said clicked inside his brain He spoke the maker's tongue? He slapped his forehead, only just remembering that he was a parselmouth. Still. If he was going to change things around, he might as well start early and start strong. "You actually thought these" he pointed to the snakes "would stop a descendant of their maker?" fortunately, the previous display helped everyone believe his lie; although he could see Daphne's piercing stare challenge his. Was that girl a bloody lie detector?

He crossed his arms over his chest and stood against the wall, waiting for the others to move.

When it was clear that nobody had recovered from the impression and were, apparently, waiting for him to do something else, he devised a plan that would, most certainly, place him and a certain other in a place of power inside the house… the place he needed to be for his reforms to work.

Thus he looked up at the golden snakes and spoke to them in parselmouth "_I will call my friend now. You are will bow to her and let her pass, understand?_"

"_Yess Masster_" he heard them hiss back.

Now Harry smiled. "Daphne, would you come over, please?"

Said girl blinked once in surprise, but the second time she did, her Ice Queen persona was back in place.

With an icy smile, she moved away from the group. When she was but a step from entering the room, she heard Harry's voice in her head '_when they move, show no fear, instead order them to move_'.

If she was surprised, however, she didn't show it.

Just as harry had predicted, the snakes first moved to close her path, but Daphne waved them off and said "Out of my way" with such a haughty voice that Harry mentally winced.

Just as they had been ordered, the snakes bowed to her and moved, and even added in English "As the Mistress commands."

With her mask still on, Daphne looked at him "Yes?"

Harry smiled, and saw most of her attitude melt "I merely wanted to address everyone else" he winked and moved to a side, where everybody could see him; there, he suppressed his smile, showing instead a stern face "Things will change from now on." His tone was as cold as Daphne's had been before "neither Slytherin nor I will allow anymore stains to his reputation. Slytherin House is for the cunning and for those who want to be and do _more_ than any commoner. Not for the bullies, and certainly not for the stupid. And if any of you, or anyone else in this house thinks otherwise, they will face _me_" with that ending, all he had to do was close the show with fireworks, which he did when, a moment later, his aura shone to its full extent.

His father had showed him to do this as an exercise to know himself better, because the aura was not only a representation of his mood, but was also the shine of his soul.

He waved everyone off and turned to offer his arm to Daphne, who could barely hide the amusement in her eyes. As they began to walk away from the 'test' room, Harry allowed his aura to fade back into nothingness.

"You sure are full of surprises, Mr. Potter" Daphne giggled, making him smirk as well. "But" her demeanor changed into something more somber "I'm afraid you will have to keep this charade on for a while… until everyone has had a chance to experience it. Only then will they ever follow you."

Harry hadn't thought as much and said so, however, he still felt confident and offered her a sly grin "Fortunately now you are as deep in this as I am."

The girl grimaced "Sly, Harry. Very sly." She tossed her long hair behind her back "Then perhaps you can tell me what your plan is, so that I can act the part. My thrust in you will only get you so far."

Harry laughed, truly glad to hear the word thrust coming from her mouth. "When I'm trough, the Slytherin House will either be better than ever before or we will have to rebuild it, piece by little piece."

"Confident, aren't we?"

"I learned from the best." He winked and laughed some more.

* * *

_Somewhere in the outskirts of London_

"ACHOOO!" Drake's sneeze was heard outside the hotel room and across the street, and left him and Silvia rather deaf for a while.

"GOD BLESS YOU!" his wife shouted, barely able to hear herself talk. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Drake took a tissue from the night table to clean his nose before shaking his head "Yeah. Don't know what that was." He looked at her robed form by the doorway and couldn't help grinning "Mmm Hmm"

Silvia returned the smile "Oh, you think this is sexy?" she asked looking down at her attire "Wait until you see what's underneath" she winked, moving her hips as she walked into the room.

"Wait until I get my camera!"

* * *

Harry thought at first that he was inside his room in Slytherin, but then he noticed as the room changed to look like his room in Drakengard Castle and knew that he was, most likely inside the Room of Requirement.

A faint sound made him turn from examining the room, to the other side of his bed, where a distinctively beautiful girl was staring up at him with a smile on her lips and her black, silky hair draped over the pillows. "Good morning milord" she giggled, moistening her lips with her pink tongue.

Harry's gaze moved down her face to her ample bosom, and lower to the curved figure that was barely covered by the almost transparent sheet. Somehow, he didn't know why, he _knew_ he that the past night he had sex with this beautiful girl.

"Do you remember my name, milord?" she asked, moving closer and placing her warm and silky hand on his chest, and began tracing circles over his skin. "Do you?" Her lips were now on the skin of his neck, suckling, kissing and nibbling as she moved down to his shoulder, then to his chest and ABS, and still going lower. He couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips, when he felt her mouth tasting _him_. He had never felt this good before. Yes he had had some interesting nights with Hermione before, but nothing compared to this.

Thinking of his bushy-haired friend, apparently, was the way to go, because the girl currently servicing him moaned and moved out of the sheets, still licking her lips, to sit on top of him and rub the wetness between her legs against him. With a solid move she impaled herself

"_Yes_" she moaned, and began moving forward and backward "I _love_ the way you fill me, milord."

Harry closed his eyes at impossibly greater pleasure, and when he opened them it was a grown-up Hermione, who was straddling him and moaning his name in pleasure. "_Ah! _Harry, yes. Do me harder!" He wanted to move, to caress her and feel as if they had never parted, but he found that he couldn't, and as he looked up, he noticed that his hands were held by dark-gloved hands of a bunch of masked Deatheaters.

He heard a higher moan and his face turned to see Hermione still making love to him… only that this wasn't the Hermione he had loved, on her place, was the corpse she had left behind after Voldemort's Lackeys had abused her… she still had the bruises, and that horrible bulge of pus where her eye was supposed to be.

Shock and horror struck him like a physical blow and he screamed.

And just like that, he woke to see the dim light of the sun enter his dorm room in Slytherin's dungeon.

Everything was silent as should be so early in the morning in a first year's room.

He looked down at his hands and then at his body, but there was no mark on either his wrists from the shackles, or his body, from all the beating he had received while in Voldemort's custody.

And he was still in the body of an 11th year old Harry Potter, which meant that he had really been given another chance to fight and win the war. _That_ was no dream.

'_I haven't had a dream like this in years_' he reasoned. He had had such dreams every now and then when staying at the Dursleys' during his first days back in this timeline; but had faded into nothing as soon as he arrived to Drakengard Castle. He really hadn't thought why that happened, but now that he did, he suspected it had something to do with his father. '_Could this dream mean something? Is being away from Drake affecting me? Or was I simply too far away for Voldemort to reach me?_'

He frowned, knowing that no answer would come from simply pondering on the unknown. Therefore, he had to look for some information on the topic… however the only people who knew about his condition were Drake himself, and, to some extent –because the old man had guessed quite accurately– Nicholas Flamel. As far as he knew, speaking about the dreams to anyone else but those two would result in a complete disregard of the possible meaning… because they knew nothing of the link between him and Voldemort.

Dumbledore might have been able to help him as well, but how could he explain what he knew? Could he trust enough in Dumbledore to tell him the truth? He was more than certain that he could, because the old man was extremely adept at keeping secrets, but would he believe him?

Harry shook his head, unable to decide. He needed help, and he needed it fast. Before any more dreams assaulted him, before things got out of control.

Suddenly he had the urge to look up, and as he did, he stared intently into the dark corner on the far side of the room. There was nothing there, of course, but for a moment, as he stared into the darkness, he felt as if the darkness was staring right back at him.


	4. Potions' Class

A/N: This is by far, my favorite chapter of the ones I've written today. Lost somewhere in here is a hint for a rather important component for Book 3... let's see if you can figure it out XP

Let's see how the 'new trio' works out... and yes I do believe that Draco is almost as bad/good as Ron

* * *

3: The Potion's Class

He was the first to reach the common room that morning, but almost as soon as he did, he noticed his Daphne was walking up the stairs that came from the girls' dormitories.

"Good morning" She greeted him with a smile that faded a little after noticing his grave face "Is something wrong?" she moved to his side quickly and he nodded for her to follow him.

"I had a nightmare" he said, almost waiting for her to surprise him again with a clever insight, however, she was completely out of depth here.

Daphne shrugged "Well everyone has every now and then. I heard a girl in my room crying last night."

"That's not what I meant" he hissed, suddenly pissed off.

Daphne arched an eyebrow "What _did_ you mean then?"

Harry knew he was risking his skin here, but he was tired of lying to everybody else. He wanted to have a friend he could trust implicitly again. And she had said she trusted him… so maybe he could thrust her. "Can you keep a secret?"

The girl sobered immediately "Do you need an oath of secrecy?"

Harry's eyebrows rose to his hairline. How could she possibly know that when he was being serious, things _were _serious? How could she possibly have a mind so sharp at such a tender age?

Suddenly a crazy thought occurred to him. And if she was _like him_? Not about the Horcrux in his head, but a time traveler? He knew that he was more intelligent and cunning this time around, because he had 23 years of advantage against every other boy or girl in this school. But what about her?

His eyes met hers and held them, but could find nothing out of place there. So how could he know? He didn't seem any different from his other self, and yet Flamel had caught him and guessing, spot on, on his greatest secret. Perhaps he ought to ask the old man if there was a possibility that more than one had traveled back in time at the same time.

Harry shrugged "Yes" again, to his utter amazement, she nodded and gave him an unbreakable bow of never revealing his secrets to anyone else under no circumstances, nor would she ever even hint to knowing in any way, direct or indirect, unless he gave her explicit permission. The wording was very thorough, as if she has been thinking about doing it before he asked. Once she finished, he looked at her "How do you do that?"

She blinked "the unbreakable bow?"

"No." He shook his head "I have the faint impression that you are, somehow, much more than an 11th year old girl."

Her face was blank, but he noticed that she lost some of her color "The same could be said of you, can't it?" she arched an eyebrow

He nodded at the masterful avoiding tactic. Looking around, he took her hand and led her to a secluded classroom, where he was sure nobody ever passed, judging by the amount of dust on the floor. Still he casted a few, rather potent, privacy charms.

"What I'm about to tell you is known only by three people in this world, and suspected a few more. As it is, it is one of the most best kept secrets of all time. And divulging it will place me and _more importantly_, my family, in danger." He held her eyes with a powerful gaze "The very fact of knowing it will put you in the position where you might lose your life to keep the secret. Are you sure you want to hear?"

Daphne frowned "I already gave you the-"

"I don't care about the oath. I want you to know of the consequences of entering my little world. I won't force it to you, just because you've given me an oath."

To his surprise, the girl smiled "You really are a Gryffindor at heart, aren't you?" she shrugged, and gave it thought; only answering him after a minute. "I know the what the consequences are to knowing the secret, however, I suspect that there are even worse consequences for telling… in the case that the power you displayed yesterday wasn't only for show" she looked up at him, but didn't give him time to say a thing "whatever it is that you know must be extremely important and dangerous" she gave him a sly grin "the more reason to know about it. Even if I can't tell anyone about it, or even discuss it with nobody but yourself, it can, at the very least, allow me to make informed decisions about my life, later on. So tell me what this terrible secret is"

Harry told her then. Not about time-traveling, since he was still unsure about raising the topic with anyone, but he told her about the prophecy and the link it had created between Voldemort and himself, and more importantly, what a nightmare meant to it.

In the end, Daphne was paler than what he had ever seen her, seating on a dusty desk, stunned into silence.

After almost five minutes, the girl was finally able to speak "Wow. And here I thought I had it bad." Harry raised an eyebrow, but she waved the silent question away. "So you mean to tell me that this nightmare you had, has something to do with You-know-who, who is, in fact, not dead?"

The boy rolled his eyes at her way of calling Voldemort, but understood that it would take some time for her to be able to call him by name. After all, it was almost a tradition of the wizarding world to use hyphenated names.

"Voldemort and yes." Her eyes were wide, but at least she didn't tremble as Ron had. "Or, at least, that is what I'm leaded to believe because of the situation, but I cannot be sure."

"So, it just _might_ be a normal nightmare?"

He didn't like the implication of that… if he really was worrying over nothing. However, there was still a fact that was clear in his mind. "No. It was too vivid, it felt almost real" he suppressed the blush he felt rising to his cheeks at the memory of the woman and the things they were doing. Thank Merlin for acting classes. He ought to give Drake something nice for making him attend.

"So, if it is a vivid dream, then it is most likely that it comes from Vol- from _him_." The girl frowned "I'm going to need more details than that if you want me to help out."

No matter how hard he tried, this time he couldn't help blushing. Something she didn't miss.

"Aren't you one naughty boy" she teased with a wry smile "I didn't know kids your age thought of _that_."

Harry nearly fell of his chair.

"It's not like that!" as vehement as his denial was, the girl's look said it all.

"Such a forceful denial, Harry, can only mean it was" she frowned "which meant that either you're precocious, or you were seeing a vision. You told me that you've experienced that before. Could this be one then?"

The boy frowned "I don't know… but"

"But?"

He shook his head "The girl from the dream, kept calling me 'milord'" he shrugged "I think it was the usual treatment that Voldemort gave to himself."

"So you might have seen something that _he_ was doing."

The idea was plausible… but still he couldn't – no, he didn't even want to _imagine_ snake lips doing _that_. He shuddered "Yes." Suddenly his stomach grumbled.

"We won't accomplish anything with an empty stomach." The girl shrugged, with half a smile tensing her lips "I wouldn't dream of starving _milord_ Slytherin"

Harry groaned.

As they exited the classroom and moved into more known corridors, they began seeing small groups of students that stopped to watch them as soon as they noticed the pair was close.

"I guess it was much to ask to go a day without being stared at" Harry thought out loud, briefly noticing that had Daphne put up her icy mask again. Hell, even her way of walking changed

"With your performance yesterday? I'm sure the whole school will know before today ends"

They kept moving, not caring about the stares or whispers, knowing that they would only get worse in the following days… and until Harry's reforms had taken place.

As they closed on the dining Hall, Harry noticed that Malfoy was standing with his back towards the doors, probably expecting them.

"Potter, Greengrass" Draco moved away from the wall and raised a hand to stop them "wait." They stopped, looking at him expectantly "Look, I know that we barely know each other, but I wanted to tell you that whatever you're up to, I want in."

Harry and Daphne exchanged a look. "What exactly do you want, Malfoy?" Daphne asked.

The blond boy shrugged "I can discern a good opportunity when I see one. And after what you pulled out yesterday, I reckon that it is better for me to stay on your side than any other." At their unbelieving looks, he continued "Look, you didn't stay back after your stunt, so you couldn't see what I did. You didn't see two first years overpower the grownups. You didn't see the look of fear and hate in Flint's face or the calculating stare on that girl's face-"

"Veronica?"

"That is the one. As things are, the house will soon be divided between those who believe in you, and those who don't. So far you have most of the first years convinced, and Veronica. But you will need much more that magic and acting lessons to consolidate your position in the house." The boy smirked "I can help you there" he offered Harry his hand to shake "My family's name is important, and my father is well known in and out of these walls. If I were to back you up…"

"It would be seen as if the Malfoy's were behind you" Daphne ended, unconsciously clarifying the matters for Harry; the girl's intense gaze moved to Harry's eyes "It won't hurt, and it could even help us in the long run."

Harry was sure she was saying the truth; he however, saw this as an opportunity to gain access to a certain diary that he knew was in the possession of Draco's father. Perhaps pretending to be the boy's friend wouldn't hurt his chances. With a calculated smile, he shook Draco's hand "Welcome aboard then."

Draco's smile resulted to be contagious.

"Is this what Slytherins do, then?" The boy who lived asked after a pause

"What do you mean?"

"Build alliances for power instead of friendships?"

Daphne rolled her eyes "and here I thought that you were smart. Isn't that what school is for? To be with others and make acquaintances?"

Harry frowned "I always thought we came here to learn and make friends."

The blond boy shook his head "If we wanted to learn, we could stay at home and hire private tutors that _actually_ knew what they taught. As for friends, I've never seen a use for them as I do for acquaintances and contacts."

Harry's eyebrows were raised "That is all nice and good, but if you think that's what friends are all about, then I'm going to rock the House's foundations harder than what I thought at first." He then turned to Daphne "you can't say you didn't like making friends with my sister, or Hermione, for that matter."

Draco frowned "I'll never know what you see in that mud-"

Harry grabbed him by the shirt and shoved his wand into Draco's face so fast that the boy didn't react until he felt his back collide with the wall. "Don't you ever call her that!" Harry spat with such fury that everyone in the vicinity stopped to watch. "Don't you dare say that word ever again, if you don't want me to cut your tongue out and nail it to the ceiling of your bed."

Draco nodded mutely, his face paler than ever. "I won't. I promise."

After staring into his eyes for a moment, Harry released him and took a step back, where he allowed Daphne to pull him away from the scene.

"You have such a way with words" she teased him once they were seated at the furthest end of the table, where nobody could hear them "that I wondered how you ever got any friends."

Harry grimaced "Sorry, I just don't like anybody calling my friends any names. Especially one as petty as that one."

Daphne stared at him "You do realize that you _attacked_ a comrade, right? And that you will have to make it up to him, if you really want him and his family's fame on your side, right?"

Harry groaned "I messed things up, didn't I?"

"Yes you did mister" the voice, however wasn't Daphne's, and as the boy looked back, he saw his sister standing there with a murderous look. "You, me, outside _now._"

Without further ado, she turned and left the dining room.

"Save me something for later, will you?"

The blonde girl nodded with an amused smile on her rosy lips.

* * *

"Did I hear well, _dear brother_? Did you declared yourself _Slytherin's_ heir and are planning on taking over the House? Mind telling you sister why?"

Harry swallowed "Well, you see-" he began, but decided to stop when her glare worsened.

"And now everyone is asking _me_, _your sister_. If I can _speak parselmouth_, or if I can _produce an aura_? Try as I might to assure myself that you used what you learnt _in self defense_, I just can't see how." Her frown deepened "you know that this _display_ of yours could get not only _us_ in trouble, but _our father_ as well? Did you stop to think about _that_?"

Harry grimaced "I'm sorry Liz; I really didn't stop to think about it… I just winged it."

Suddenly she deflated completely "Really Harry, what were you _thinking?_"

"I'm sorry. I really am. But if I'm to be in Slytherin, then I will do whatever is in my power to change the House for the better, and-"

"This was the best way you could think of?" the girl sighed "Oh Harry is nothing ever easy with you?"

"Sorry sis."

"You know, never mind." She waved him off "at least tell me what you're up to, so that I can back you up."

"You're the best sister, you know?"

Elizabeth snorted "I'm your _only_ sister."

"And I can only thank God for that mercy"

* * *

The pair made their way back to the dining room when the rest of the students were finishing their breakfast. And Harry felt so much better for being back on Elizabeth's good side, that he even told her about the dream, the full extent of it, which had caused to smile slyly at him an insinuate that she _may_ be able to help him with that matter… thought that even now made him feel sick.

"I was talking about Hermione silly" she teased him again while they made their way through the hall "I mean, she didn't once stopped babbling about you all through the night. I swear that if I didn't know better I'd think that you were lovers or something before"

Harry gulped and forced himself to laugh, although his voice came out rather dry "You don't say?"

"Yeah, it's really strange" Liz shrugged, without catching up on his nervousness "she told me some of the strangest things about you… some that I know are true for being your sister. It's really weird."

"I can only imagine" he croaked, fortunately his stomach saved him from haven got continue the conversation.

"Better go eat before you fain" she winked "Talk to you later" and without a thought to the possible consequences, she kissed him in the cheek, pretty close to the lips, before making her way to Ravenclaw's table.

Harry just shrugged, almost sure that she had done it on purpose. He crossed the room to the other side of the hall where Daphne still waited for him with two plates with neatly arranged food.

"Tuck in" she said with a rather grim smile "before you lose your chance" she then slipped him a piece of paper "our head of house came by while you were gone. This is our time table." With that and a glare, she stood and left him alone.

Harry, both eyebrows raised, stared at her retreating back, wondering what could have happened to piss her off like that.

However, when he found her waiting outside the charms classroom, she was back to being her usual self. Malfoy was there also, so he made a gesture and took him away from the crowd forming at the entrance of the room.

"About earlier" he began, but the blond boy interrupted him.

"You know, I'm sorry about that. I know she is your friend, but I've always been taught to look down on the muggle born" the boy shrugged "I never questioned it; I just do as my father does." He shook his head "I'll try to contain my tongue with her, but it will take time before I can be rid of the habit, ok?"

Was it only him, or did everyone seemed to be behaving like grownups?

Harry nodded "as long as you've got the point its fine. Sorry about the manhandling by the way"

Draco shrugged "I've had worse" he finished with a grim smile and turned to go back to the classroom, with Harry following close behind.

What was going on here? Why did he suddenly have the feeling that both Draco and Daphne had had a childhood not unlike his with the Dursleys? And since when did he call Malfoy by his first name?

His life was just getting stranger and stranger.

* * *

The complete strangeness off it didn't hit him until after Charms class, where the tiny Professor Flitwick awarded him his first ten points for performing and excellent levitation spell in his first try, and even upped that to fifty, once he demonstrated that he could do is silently… not that he'd been planning on that, he simply had casted the charm while talking to Daphne, something the professor picked on immediately.

The strange fact that had made Harry stop in mid stride, causing Draco to nearly crash on him, was that Dumbledore hadn't made the announcement about the third floor corridor… which meant that there was no philosopher's stone in Hogwarts… This could only mean that things had been changed again. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't noticed Quirrel on the professor's table either last night or this morning.

That made him remember his talk with Nicholas Flamel about the stone '_I'm afraid to say that someone else already thought of that, namely Voldemort and his lackeys. That is why we changed our residence to this place; our home in France was torched when they came to try and take the stone.'_

Harry couldn't believe that he hadn't caught on that small slip of information before.

Deatheaters had attacked the Flamel's to try and get the Stone from him. And this had happened… what? Three years ago? How could he have not seen it before?

_Voldemort was already active._

The thought gave him pause, as a sudden dread rose in his chest. Things were happening much too fast than last time. But, if Voldemort was already active, would he have a body yet? We was almost sure that he hadn't, because if that was so, then he would have felt it, protections or no, distance or not. He couldn't be sure, but he knew of somebody who would surely know something about it.

Albus Dumbledore.

It was time he paid the old man a visit.

* * *

However, before he was able to see the Headmaster, Harry had to go through his classes… which meant going to his 'first' flying lessons with Madame Hooch, and survive to a double session of potions, both with the Gryffindors.

"Oh joy."

* * *

"There look!"

"Where?"

"To the left of the pale blond boy."

"The one with the glasses?"

"Have you seen his face?"

"Have you seen his _scar_?"

"I heard he claimed to be Slytherin's heir"

"I hear that too, and that he's a parselmouth."

Harry rolled his eyes at the insistent murmurs that followed him wherever he went.

"Enjoying a bit of fame, Potter?" Draco sneered with much sarcasm. After they had cleared out the waters between them, Harry found that if he tried hard enough he could actually get to like the boy. He even found himself laughing at some of his jokes.

"_Sure_" he answered in the same tone "I just love how the mass of mindless drones stares and points at me whenever I go. It makes me feel so _special_."

Beside them Daphne snorted, but quickly covered it with a cough. "Mindless drones? When did the school got filled with Hufflepuffs?"

The other two laughed together "They must have switched everybody overnight. I'd be careful Potter; it might be a good idea for you to check that your sister is still your sister."

Harry snorted "Oh she's herself; there is no doubt about that."

As if their jokes had conjured her, Elizabeth appeared on the next corner, closely followed by Hermione, who had a face of one who is dying to say something.

"Liz!" Harry raised his voice and waved, until they saw them and came to meet them.

"_You_" Elizabeth pointed to her bother "are in very serious problems, mister." She wasn't mad, but she was clearly not very pleased.

"What did _I_ do this time?" he asked, completely clueless.

Hermione answered that, falling into step with him and the others, and taking the place between him and Draco. "Everybody has been asking us about you the whole morning, they have been especially _mean_ to Lizzy, even going as far as threatening to ban her from Ravenclaw if she won't answer."

Harry shook his head "Of course you kicked their asses…?"

"But off course!" The girl spat "But that is just it. I promised mom that we would behave and not stand out too much. Your case is making keeping that promise very difficult."

Harry shrugged "Dad also told us to have fun and cause as much Mayhem as we could manage without getting caught" he winked.

"When did that happen, that I didn't hear?" the girl asked, confused.

"He told me in his office before taking the plane back to London."

Suddenly, they heard Malfoy chuckle.

"What?" they asked in unison, with equally confused faces.

"_Lizzy?_" the boy asked, barely able to contain a laugh.

"Oh shut up" the girl turned with pink cheeks, making the rest of them laugh.

After sharing a few precious moments of small talk with Hermione and Elizabeth, harry Daphne and Draco left to rake their first flying lesson.

"Have any of you two flown before?" Daphne asked when they had taken their places, each to the left of a broom.

"My father had a private tutor taught me years ago" Draco said, pride dripping from his mouth "the man has plays for England's Professional Quiddich Team".

Harry rolled his eyes at the normal Malfoy demeanor "My godfather taught me everything he and my biological father knew." He shrugged as if he didn't already know how good he was "I've never flown alone before" '_in this life at least_' he added as an afterthought.

Turning to his female friend, he noted that fear escaped her normally cal façade. "You haven't flow before, have you?"

She shook her head "father thinks that it is a waste of money to teach a woman to fly."

Malfoy snorted "It probably is"

Harry wanted to snap at the boy, but he had better things to worry at the moment. Like reassuring his friend. "Daphne, look at me"

The girl's eyes were wide and teary as she looked up to him.

"Flying is easy, there is nothing to be afraid of, really" he added the last part when he saw her disbelieving look. "Just stay close to me, I'll keep you safe, ok?"

The girl nodded and erased her tears with the back of her hand.

With a mindless wave of his hand, he conjured a tissue and placed it in her hand.

"Potter"

Harry looked back to his other friend with a sneer "you need a tissue too Malfoy?"

The boy waved him away "No you dork. I wanted to know how you did that."

"What?"

"Where is your wand?"

Harry raised an eyebrow "In my back pocket as always, why?"

Draco looked at him in a manner that almost made him feel stupid "then how did you conjure the tissue?"

That got his attention, leaving him gaping. "Did I-? You mean? I did, didn't I?" and stared at his hands in amazement; he had never been able to perform wandless magic without having to concentrate really hard on it. So hard that when he tried, he usually got a week's worth of migraine. How could he have possibly conjured a tissue without ever planning on it? Could this be the result of that exercise with Drake where he had had to extend the 'tentacles' of his mind and read two and more book s at a time. Could his brain, by itself, focus on something without him being aware of it?

The thought left him reeling and even more eager to put it to test. If so, then he and Liz had one thing more to do in their spare time while at school.

Madame Hooch's whistle brought him back to the present, where the Gryffindors where staring at them –particularly at him– with open hostility that he couldn't help a smart comment "One would think that _they_ have never before seen a wizard".

Draco snorted, while Daphne commented on it "and they probably haven't."

That got the rest of their house laughing along with them.

"Good morning class" the Professor addressed them, thus silencing any further comments "Now if you please put your right hand over the broom next to you and say _UP_."

Malfoy and Harry smiled at each other, calling up their brooms, which jumped to their hands at once. "Smug much, Potter? Wait until we're in the air, then we'll see who the best flyer is."

"You're on Malfoy!" Harry nodded, turning to his other side to see Daphne still trying to call up her broom, and looking pretty annoyed when it remained on the ground. "Daphne"

She glared at him "_What?_"

He let her tone pass, knowing what frustration felt like "Look at the broom and _make_ it go up."

"I'm _trying_" she fumed

Harry shook his head "That's not what I meant." He dropped his broom and moved to her side. "I mean, look at it, really look at it"

The girl took a deep breath to calm herself before doing as he said "I'm looking and I don't see any difference"

"Let's try something different then. I need you to concentrate, to look inside yourself and find you core, the root of your magic."

She looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Thrust me on this one, alright?"

He asked for trust? That she could do. She closed her eyes and followed his instructions, until she finally felt her magic core it was an amazing experience because she could _actually_ feel the magic in it moving as if it was alive, and as she focused on it, she felt it grow in her direction, as a pet craving for attention; why hadn't her done this before? Why hadn't anyone told her that it could feel so good to feel her own magic flowing inside her?

Harry called to her with his mind, gently and calmly until she was able to focus on everything outside her and not just inside. "Now look at the broom beside you"

Daphne looked and gasped.

The broom shone dimly with an almost imperceptible brownish aura. But there was more than that, now she could feel the object's desire to be called, to _connect_ with her and her magic.

"Call it to you, Daphne."

With a confident smile on her face, she did, and instantly the broom leaped to her awaiting hand. And as her magic and the one from the object connected, she could almost feel them purring like kittens. Glad to be with each other.

She looked up to her friend and found him smiling, while he was surrounded by the biggest aura she had ever seen before, in which three colors fought for supremacy: a pure, almost silvery white, a powerful gold and a spot of the most terrific black she had ever seen before. The purity of the white and the power and grandness of spirit the gold meant she could understand from the little she had shared with him, but what was the black? Suddenly she remembered that morning's talk in the unused classroom. He had been touched by Voldemort, and still kept a link with him… that mean that that piece of darkness was the part that was infected by Voldemort? But how could Harry have a piece of someone's aura? She ought to look into it.

The pair was rudely interrupted by Madame Hooch, who chose that moment to approach them.

"That was a most excellent show of knowledge of Magic, Mr. Potter. Thirty points to Slytherin" she offered him a smile, before her face turned stern once again "I will have to ask you to accompany me after the class is over, however."

"Yes Professor" Harry gulped and moved back to his place.

"Nice moves Potter" Malfoy sneered at him "you don't mind sharing the knowledge with your other friends later today, do you?"

Harry shrugged "We'll see then." With a gesture from his hand, born of much practice in the quidditch field, his broom leaped to his side without a word.

* * *

Just as Harry had told her before, flying wasn't so bad, one you got the hang of it, and especially since she wasn't afraid of heights. Still she was grateful for her friend for remaining true to his word to not leave her side until she was safely back in the ground as the teacher escorted a pitiful Gryffindor to the infirmary with a broken wrist. Only then did she have the opportunity to witness just what _Harry Potter_ was able to do with a broom. Malfoy wasn't so bad himself, and was probably the best of the group of first years, but Harry… he was an entirely different entity. It was almost as if he had been born on a broom or if the heavens had made a mistake and sent him to the world as a human instead of a bird.

And still, the boy was such a good person that she found herself wondering what he would grow up to be. And what would that mean for their current relationship.

Daphne was no stupid, actually she considered herself to be more intelligent than even most adults, and if she added that to her uncanny accurate sixth sense, made her one of the most analytic and fast witted girl of the school. Which was why, when she saw Harry, she knew what other could only begin to grasp: The boy was sure to become a legend an she, at his side, would shine as brightly and would, probably feel as free as he did.

Besides, there was no doubt that once her parents knew that she had befriended _the_ Harry Potter, they would insist on her pursuing a more serious relationship with the boy.

She didn't want to. She didn't even liked boys yet. But there was no denying what her family would do, especially after the arrival of her grandfather Lucien from exile. The man was positively evil in a way that made her shudder just by remembering his name, much like what happened to everyone else when they heard the true name of he-who-must-not-be-named.

But she knew that her uncle could be much, _much_ more frightening, simply because he wasn't human, there was simply no way a man could look that young, or be as beautiful as he was… or as mean. Her father hated the man too, but kept his feeling under an impenetrable mask of pleasantness, one she would probably never be able to imitate; her mother, however, doted on him. She didn't know why, but every time they were together, it seemed to make her father even madder, making him lash out at anyone close by… which more likely than not, was her.

What that could mean, she didn't really want to think about it. She didn't want to have anything to do with her grandfather or anyone from that side of her family, for they were all equally strange. Almost as if they were-

No, but she couldn't bear to think about it, not when she was alone in her bed, and never anywhere near anybody else. If she wouldn't think about it alone, even worse where her thought might not be as personal. Because her father had warned that the Headmaster and his pet Snape, were more than apt at extracting one's thought from their heads.

Her eyes moved back to wonder boy, as he finally landed with a grace she could only envy. Still, she put up her secret smile for him "You say that this was what your late father knew?"

* * *

Harry smiled back at her "I might have gone a little overboard, but yes."

"_Overboard, you?_"

"Ha ha, very funny Greengrass" he got back at her, and noticed as she, once again, became the Ice Queen, when the other Slytherins approached to congratulate him for the display. Even Malfoy, ever the proud one, congratulated him.

"I'm sure we'll make it to the Quidditch team together" he smiled to the blond boy "You'd make a mean chaser or captain, with all your knowledge of the sport"

Draco's sneer became a smile "You might be onto something there Potter." He gave Daphne a sly smile "and Greengrass might take up the mantle of the lead cheerleader."

Harry was suddenly hit by the image of a grown Daphne in a cheerleader dress like the ones that they had seen on the Grand Bowl, when Drake had taken them to the USA, a few years back. He had to stifle a groan at the impossibly sexy image.

"You _wish_" Daphne all but snarled, making the other share a look and later shrug.

"It was only a joke" Harry amended with a smile.

One she answered to by putting her nose in the air and strutting away from them.

"What's got into her?" Malfoy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Damn if I know."Harry shrugged "this morning too, she was mad about something but didn't want to say what it was."

Both friends looked at each other and shrugged "_girls_."

* * *

Together, they made their way back to the dungeons for their Potions class, something Harry had been dreading the whole day.

And Snape, like everybody else, began the day by calling attendance, and he like all others, made a pause at Harry's Name.

'_Here we go… again_' Harry sighed, preparing himself for the worse. He had thought that because he was now in Slytherin, the man would be a little more inclined to leave him alone; apparently that wasn't the case.

"Eh, yes. Harry Potter, our new… celebrity"

On his peripheral vision, Harry could see Daphne and Malfoy sharing a look.

Snape then continued with the list, and only when he had finished, did he look up to the class "You are here to learn the subtle science and the exact art of making potions" he spoke in a barely audible whisper, and even then everyone was able to hear him clearly "There will be no foolish wand-waving in this class, which is why many of you will fail." He glared at everyone in complete silence, before stopping to look at Harry "Because you _will_ fail."

Those words were directed at him, but Harry couldn't decide whether he was talking about his ambitions for Slytherin, or his war against Snape's true master. He still hadn't forgotten how the man had killed Dumbledore, or his look of complete triumph as the lead the assault that resulted in the complete annihilation of the Order of the Phoenix. It was with these thoughts in mind that Harry glared right back. '_Let him try to read my mind now_' he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, as if to restrain him.

Snape looked away, half a smile dancing on his lips "Still there are those who by either sheer willpower or some form of skill have done a decent job on this subject, if any of you shows this kind of dedication I might not consider this class a total loss of my time."

More silence followed those words, and every child in the dungeon exchanged looks. Harry saw this, but his senses were still focused only on the _professor_, while a hand fell on his other shoulder.

"Easy boy" Daphne murmured, but it was enough and Snape turned to them.

"Ah, yes. Potter." His tone was a greasy as his hair "Tell us, where would you look if you wanted to find a bezoar?"

'_This again?_'Harry asked himself, barely resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow. '_Thank god for Slughorn'_ he remembered the long since deceased professor that not only gave him the hint he needed to uncover the secret to Voldemort's immortality, but had also given him and Hermione refuge before the end. "Inside a goat's belly."

Did Snape smile at that? No, he was surely imagining it.

"What is the wolfsbane potion used for?"

"It's used to keep the werewolves tame and tranquil during their transformation each new moon."

Snape nodded "You forgot to mention that while that is the main use for the potion, it has also been used as a poison in the past." The man assessed him for a moment before turning "Five points to Slytherin, for a fairly decent answer."

It was a luck that Snape chose that moment to turn away, because Harry's mouth went slack and he openly gaped at the potion's professor. And like before, Daphne was kind enough to close his mouth with a delicate finger.

Snape moved onto the class, writing the ingredients in the blackboard by the back of the classroom, before turning to them and snarling "get moving!" Most Gryffindors jumped in their seats, and eventually began moving.

"How are we supposed to know where to find what if we know nothing of potions?" Malfoy asked to nobody in particular.

"That's easy. Tell me the first ingredient" Harry knew he was probably going to get in trouble for what he was about to do, but he was rather desperate for some amount of normalcy… not that he wanted to be mistreated and specially by Snape, but how could he know how far he had landed from the tree if he didn't give it a shot?

"Mandragore extract"

"Accio Mandragore extract!" Harry nearly shouted and a small jar flew out of the cabinets and landed on his open hand.

As was expected, Snape was right on his tracks "What do you think you are doing, Potter?"

Looking back at the professor with a rather smug face "Why retrieving the ingredients, Professor."

Malfoy provided the cherry on top of the cake "You don't actually expect us to walk among that… _Gryffindor filth_, do you professor?"

For all answer, Snape raised an eyebrow "I expect you to deliver those ingredients back in their respective places, after you have finished your potion. You better remember where that jar flew off Mr. Potter, unless you want me to deduct points from my own House." His derisive look was making Harry go crazy.

Snape turned away, just as a redhead raised his wand to try the same trick Harry had.

"Weasley! What are you doing with your wand out?"

"But-"

"Five points from Gryffindor, for your complete disregard of rules, Weasley. Now put that wand down."

Harry actually felt bad for this time's Ron, who glared at him from the other side of the room.

"Gryffindors, will they ever learn?" Draco shook his head with amusement "we get away for who we are. Most of them are mu-" the boy was able to stop himself from saying something stupid in front of Harry, but he was able to correct himself "mu-muggleborns. How do they expect to compete with the prominence of us Purebloods?"

Harry raised an eyebrow "You do know that my mother was a muggleborn, right? And she the best witch of her year."

"Well, that just proves that she was the exception that confirmed the rule."

"Do you mind?" Daphne looked at them both with her arms crossed and a raised eyebrow "Bring the other ingredients so that we can begin our potion."

Both boys shared a look and then smiled "_Yes mistress_."

Their sniggers only ceased until Snape himself passed their table, a good ten minutes later.


	5. Halloween

A/N: Strange how some people hadn't figured that this fic was AU even after reading the first book... that is just plain WEIRD.

Anyhow, a big thanks to all the reviewers that had been giving me pointers and motivation to keep writting. Global conquest-er, it's good to hear from you after... what... six months? damn that was too long.

Hope you like this chapter, where the cogs of fate begin moving XD

* * *

5: Halloween

The mist that clung tightly to the walls of the house had always given it a mystical appearance, but since the new tenants had bought it with the grasslands that surrounded the cemetery, the place had developed a sinister aura that had scared every animal in the surrounding areas. If men stayed in the vicinity, it was simply out of custom, or the misguided sense of protection that the town's shepherd had to imbue to them every morning.

Murmurs rose about the place, and some said that there were nights where muffled screams and pained murmurs rose in the deep of the night.

It wasn't long after the name of the family living there was would be murmured as a curse, until it simply wasn't said any more, becoming taboo.

Thus was the name Riddle forgotten and forbidden. And the manor became a legend plagued with bloodthirsty ghosts and demons.

It was no one's wonder then, than less than a month later, the precise address of the place was soon forgotten. Townsfolk knew only to avoid the area beyond the graveyard for fear of life and damnation of their eternal souls.

The night of the full moon, as a the dogs howled in the distance, the constable saw two men walking down the dusty path that led to the cemetery; one wore some strange dark robes that were apparently very expensive, that would have cut the appearance of an aristocrat had they lived in other times; however, in these modern times the man's looks were almost comical.

The other man was so much different from the first that the constable couldn't help comparing them. Where the first was lean, this other man looked strong; where the first was somber, the other was joyous; It was in this man that the officer a true noble, not for his stature, or his face, or even his clothes, that were plain and simple; no it was something about the man that made him think immediately of a king of old. Maybe it was the air about him, or the way he held himself.

Maybe that was why he had the courage to approach them.

"Excuse me gentlemen"

The two men stopped on their tracks, before they began hiking to the cemetery.

"Ah! These cursed Muggles! I cannot help but feel filthy just looking at them" said the smaller, silver-haired man with a nasty glare.

'_Muggle? What could that be, some sort of pest?_' the officer looked up to the bigger man "Are you heading to the cemetery, good sirs?"

The man ignored him, instead turning to the blond one "You would think"

With a manner that betrayed his impatience, the blond man withdrew a small piece of wood from the inside of his cane '_Imperio!_'

The constable felt a sudden and numb calm descend onto him, one that vacated all his thoughts but one. The only thought that mattered. Yes, the voice was right. Yes, he had to leave now, there were many people he should kill. Why would he even bother with the two strange men? No, there had never been any men, those were dreams. Yes. Yes. He better go now, he still had to retrieve his pistol and go take his lovely daughter to the cemetery in ten minutes, before he was free to do what he wanted. And he wanted it! He wanted to do as the voice said!

Without another word to the men in his dreams –dream-men would never be offended like that–, the constable parted, already planning the best way to knock out her lovely daughter as to not blemish her untouched skin.

"I cannot, for the life of me, imagine how a girl of 16 will be of any use in a gentleman's club. Lucius."

The blond man shrugged elegantly "one can never have too many servants. Especially if they are girls, milord."

The other chuckled "I wouldn't have thought you to entertain such thoughts, knowing your wife."

Lucius gave the man a half smile "I do not, milord. However I cannot say the same for some of our most _unsavory_ members." The man's arched eyebrow made him understand that he had misspoken again. And he couldn't help the feeling that all the time spent with this man, he had been walking on thin glass.

"_Unsavory_, you say?" the man gazed at the path that went uphill; when he finally moved his eyes back to his host, they were filled with a frightening amount of disdain. "I do not enjoy being lied to, Malfoy. This gentleman's club you so highly speak of is rapidly losing its interest. Perhaps it is best I go. I am sure that my presence will be best appreciated elsewhere"

Malfoy paled. His liege would torture and quite probably kill him and his family for allowing such a candidate to slip through his fingers. He moved to the man's side with an appolegic smile "I misspoke, milord. It's nothing, really. You cannot sincerely expect me to include a man of noble birth in the same group as anyone else? This gentleman's club is very exclusive, I assure you. We do not permit entrance top anyone lesser than ourselves."

The noble pondered his words for about a minute before sighing "You have a silver tongue, Lord Malfoy. I will accompany you to this club of yours, but I do expect it to be as you have said or I'll walk and you will never see me again."

Lucius offered a pleasant, albeit tense, smile "I am sure it will be up to your expectations, milord, and better."

"We will see."

They began walking again in the chill of the night, until they reached the cemetery, where a girl had been left unconscious near the path.

"It seems our slave has seen fit to leave us a fair present" Lucius smiled, while he inspected the cute girl in front of them. She could have had no more than 16 years of age and, a spell later they knew for a fact that she was a virgin. His liege would be _very_ pleased. He had always enjoyed virgins.

"Shall we move? Or will we waste more time with a _muggle_?"

Malfoy grimaced, as much as he wanted to try her tender flesh, he had duties to attend to first… and one was delivering this man to the mansion. He hated this man with fervor, but he was means to an end, and a milestone that his Master wanted for his organization, thus he had no choice but to stand him "Yes, let us go". He animated her boy and ordered her to follow them.

They continued on their way until he was able to see the building at the top of the hill. When they were but mere feet away from the reach of the charm that made them invisible, did he gave the man the slip of paper with the password.

The man read it and looked up to see the mansion appear before him. He was not impressed. "If this is all the security the manor has, then it is as safe as a cookie in a room full of children."

"It is only to keep the uninvited away; the grounds have been filled with enchantments and curses to keep the _undesired_ away." Lucius smiled and led the way to the front door, where two tough-looking men and a werewolf awaited.

Behind him, the man smiled, already knowing that it was true.

"Ah! Malfoy" one of the men moved to greet him "Our lord awaits your arrival." he looked behind him to the other man "Who comes with you?"

Lucius nodded "The man our Lord wanted me to bring, surely you won't object to _his_ wishes, Lestrange."

Lestrange made a face "Of course not." He bowed and opened the door for them. However the man that had come with Lucius stopped in the threshold to stare at the werewolf.

"This _creature_ looks like he could make a decent hound, has it been trained yet?"

Every man stopped dead on their track, as they stared in fright at the audacity of the man that had dared to speak like that to Fenrir Greyback.

The werewolf turned to stare and growl at the man who was wholly unfazed.

"It doesn't seem to be very intelligent" he continued with a sneer "and could use a bath, but perhaps it could be used to pull a wagon, if nothing else. There is not much one can do with these filthy mongrels"

Lucius sneered "Indeed, I wonder why we keep it at all."

The beast growled in its most threatening voice, and received an invisible slap for his efforts.

The new guy hand but waved his hand "_Silence!_ You filth. I did not grant you permission to speak." He waved his hand again and the werewolf was hit again by an invisible force that sent him to the ground. "You will know your place or I _will_ have your head."

His pride piqued now, the beast rose and howled, and marking the man as his prey, it leaped high into the air with murderous in its red eyes.

However he never did get the change to maim the stranger, because when his feet touched the ground in front of him, his head landed a few feet back rolling down the hill.

The three man at the door gaped at the stranger that had beheaded Greyback with a gesture, they had felt the potency of his magic as he raised a hand in a lazy manner to slay his enemy and preventing even the tiniest drop of blood to stain his robes.

"Oh well, one less pest to worry about." The man turned and walked inside the house "come on Lucius, I still want to be impressed."

The three men left at the door stared at each other and then at the body. Their master would not be pleased to have lost Greyback, but the prospect of gaining that man's strength for their group would be a nice compensation.

* * *

On the largest room, the one nearest to the gardens sat a throne. It hadn't been there before, but the lord of the house couldn't stand being treated as anything lower than a King. It was written in his stars: He was to rule over men, or completely destroy them.

Men needed to be guided, because somewhere along their history, they had lost their ability to govern themselves. With an only a few exceptions, mankind had become cattle.

Some, like Albus Dumbledore, believed in gently shepherding them towards a better end. He however, believed that if the cattle wasn't intelligent enough to follow their own path to greatness, then it was his job to push then towards it; whether they liked it or not.

Mankind ought to reach immortality and be free of the shackles of death.

That was precisely why most people feared him, because he was brave enough to do whatever was necessary to reach his goal. He would kill and sacrifice his people, as he sacrificed his own soul in order to cheat death.

Yes. Lord Voldemort was unstoppable in his search for a better future.

His work had started years ago, and had only been thwarted- no that was too strong a word for such a pest; not he had been _delayed_ twice by the same boy. Once he did at age one, and once again when he was older; twice had he tried to kill the boy, and twice it had backfired. The first time it had destroyed physical form, making him live as a wraith for fourteen years, until he was able to return to his body. The second time, however, had been much more elaborate, because he hadn't only returned to his wraith form… but he had moved backwards in time. Eleven years to be exact. And he retained his memories from before, which allowed him to change things and their pace… allowing him to return to his physical form years earlier than before

He had had to possess a body and use it to imbue his own essence into the womb of a willing virgin. That part had been tricky, since he couldn't use the _imperious _on her… bur his _natural_ and the promise of power had sufficed this time. The reason why he hadn't tried this before was because he had been desperate to regain his form, having been denied of it for years. But since he now had time to spare, he could allow himself some pleasures.

There was a knock on the door, one that had he not been waiting for it, would have made him most incensed.

He didn't like being interrupted.

The door opened showing the ever proud looking Malfoy on his best dress robes.

"Ah, Lucius. What news do you bring?" His sibilant voice didn't break the somber atmosphere. That was what he liked the most of his new body, it wasn't only its strength, or how beautiful it was, but it's powerful voice, one that reinforced his being Slytherin's Heir. Thinking back, he probably even _looked_ like the old man, if one was to take Slytherin's diary seriously.

The aristocrat took a couple of steps into the room, before falling to his knees in reverence. "Milord. I have done as you requested." He didn't look up, but his pose shifted to one that was more proper for a man of his stature "I have brought him for you."

"Ah, yes. The prodigal man. Do bring him in, I wish to interview him before our feast."

"Yes, milord." He bowed again and went for the door, but before he could reach it, it was opened from outside.

"I really don't see why everyone makes such a fuss over this." A voice boomed from the other, side, and then its owner came appeared before them "It is only a door." As the man looked inside, he couldn't help a sly smile forming on his face. "Hello again, Voldemort."

Lord Voldemort wasn't a man who enjoyed surprises, but he was a better actor than many. And this man, even if he had refused him before, had played a part in his first raise for power. The Dark Lord stood from his throne with a wide smile on his lips "Ah! But if it isn't the Lord of Drakengard." From Lucius' face, he could see that the man hadn't known they knew each other, "What brings you out of your exile? I don't suppose you are here to join me this time?"

Drake chuckled and entered the room, Leaving Malfoy behind.

"Not in the least. However I heard the rumors of your return, and wanted to see one of my old apprentices."

Voldemort chuckled, he had liked the man before, and he still did. Drake was one of the few that didn't fear doing whatever was necessary to reach his goals… whatever those were.

"I see that you have _changed_ quite noticeably from when I last saw you. May I ask how?"

"You do know that curiosity killed the cat, don't you?"

"And those who have no curiosity are as good as dead."

They stared at each other, smiling at their old joke. However, now the script had been reversed. On their last meeting, when Voldemort had been expelled from his institution, Drake had asked why he had gone as far as to kill his instructor for not answering a question; the old man had told him that sometimes curiosity could kill the cat, and Voldemort answered that without curiosity mankind was doomed.

"Leave us, Lucius." He waved him off, and watched him part with a still astounded face. "Why I believe you have broken him."

Drake shrugged "He will regain his senses eventually, or not. I really don't care. So, how about answering my question?"

Voldemort didn't like his tone, but this wasn't a time to be picky. If he played his cards right Drake might be willing to let him _borrow_ some of his forces for later use. It would certainly be an improvement from all the stupid and almost-squibs purebloods that seek his presence lately. "What can I say? I needed only a ritual in which I imbued myself into the womb of a pure woman. The rest is as you see."

"Somehow I thought you would seek the aid of demons. You spoke of it before."

Lord Voldemort snorted "I can't believe you actually remember that. I did, but they have hidden their kingdom better since the last time I was there."

"I see." The Count walked to the windows and inspected the night. There was something to be said about the old man, he was the only one that had ever dared to give his back to him. "They are quite hard on the head, don't you agree?"

"It is pitiful, really. Such a proud race, and they keep themselves hidden and away from the world when they could conquer it just as easily." With a delicate finger, the Dark lord scratched his trimmed beard.

"Yes, well, they are a very superstitious group. Still believing that God placed them here to observe rather than intervene, even when they could do so much good."

Voldemort smiled, it had been quite a while since he had had such an intelligent conversation. "How goes business?"

Drake snorted "such a trivial question deserves an equally trivial answer: good."

"Then let us make this a little more interesting then: To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? The _real_ reason."

"I need your knowledge and experience on _certain_ topics."

The other raised an eyebrow. "I can't deny I'm curious. With all those resources at your disposal, why come to me?"

"The knowledge I seek is not precisely common." The man turned with a grim smile, "I seek knowledge of Necromancy, and you are easily the best candidate for it."

The Dark Lord was surprised. Not because of the topic, but because the man had come to him… even if he had made sure that there were no rumors about him, what so ever. As far as the world knew, lord Voldemort was dead, a fact that he had used for his own profit for the past five years; ever since he found himself back in his wraith form when he killed Harry Potter. At first he had thought that his spell had backfired again, but as he became more and more aware of his surroundings, he understood that however improbable, by killing the boy he had he had traveled back in time. How or why it had happened, he was still unsure, but he took is as a brand new opportunity.

It was clear for him that there seemed to be some kind of power that still protected the boy, and that he hadn't inherited during the black womb ritual Barty Crouch had helped complete. Therefore, he had to look for another way to get rid of the pest, that or recruit him. However unlikely that was.

He shook his head "What are you really after, old man?" he was very close to drawing his wand.

Drake chuckled "Well, it took you longer than what I expected, but still you have one of the keenest minds I've seen so far." He locked eyes with the Dark Lord "In all truth, I came here for the answer to a secret."

"Pray tell… before I decide to _end_ our little chat most abruptly."

Still the old man didn't lose his smile, without losing eye contact, he raised a hand to the door, and Voldemort felt his usual locking charms fall into place. Nobody would be able to come in unless, and they wouldn't be able to apparate or use a portkey to get out. "What are you doing, old man?" he hissed, finally drawing his wand.

"_This_" To his amazement, Voldemort heard the voice inside his head.

"_NO_!" He tried raising his occlumency shields, and only then did he feel the probe that had been in his mind the whole time; he tried shutting it down or tearing it apart, but every time he did, the man would only frown. He could see his knowledge pour through the impossible amount of mental links the Count had inserted in his head. "_Crucio!_"

His spell flew straight and true, and with murder powering its intent, but the odious man took sidestepped and avoided the beam of magic.

His knowledge of necromancy flew right out of his mind; he could feel it already missing. He raised his wand and released a wave of dark energy; and the man had to raise a shield to protect himself.

The shield buckled, and the man had to take a step back. "I see that your rituals have given you much more than a new body, Voldemort. One more reason for me to take it."

Sudden pain spiked inside the Dark Lord's head, and he was unable to resist the grunt that escaped his lips. He saw all the rituals he had ever exposed himself to fly past his eyes. All of them… even the ones for his Horcruxes. "_NOOO!_"

This time rage powered the pulse of magic that exploded from his body and sent the other man flying into the furthest wall. It cracked even before Drake hit it, but he had blood coming from his mouth.

And still the proves didn't retract, they were still leeching the knowledge out of his mind.

Voldemort's eyes flashed red as his factions transformed into those from a monstrosity. He couldn't believe the nerve of the man. But as soon as he thought of that, a series of images filled his mind with fear.

He saw Harry Potter retrieving the Locket and the Ring of Slytherin with Albus Dumbledore. Then stealing the cup from the Lestrange's vault. "_No_" he croaked "_it cannot be!_"

Then, what else? There was Rowena's tiara and Nagini, and what else? The diary, of course, that was in Malfoy's possession and what else?

Suddenly he caught his train of thought and looked up from the floor to stare, wide-eyed, at the man before him.

"Yes, Voldemort. It is just as you see… _we are going to kill you_, piece by little piece, until nothing but dust and bitter memories remain."

He screamed. It was filled to the brim with fear and rage, especially since he knew that he couldn't make any more Horcruxes without destroying himself in the process. And filled as he was with fear, he clamped his occlumency shields down, severing the links that held them both together.

Drake staggered when the links were cut, feeling as if his brain was bleeding. He looked up and saw a jet of green light headed directly at him. He couldn't help thinking about his children and the pained expression in their eyes when they knew he was dead.

'_No_' he swore '_not yet, it's not my time yet._' And as soon as he thought of that, his world turned black, and a bright light shone in the distance.

* * *

Malfoy couldn't believe his ears when he heard what Harry's plan was for the evening. "_Are you daft_?"

The boy-who-lived rolled his eyes, and was saved from replying when Daphne intervened "It might actually be a good idea. If what we're trying to do is rock the foundations of the belief system of our House, then being seen co-operating and establishing contacts with prominent members of other houses will be well seen."

"Exactly" Harry beamed "besides, if we use our newest member's influences our standing will become much more solid." Since their earlier conflict with Flint, there had been a wild movement inside their house; an opportunity Draco had been more than pleased to use for their advantage convincing Victoria –the female prefect– and a few others from her circle of influence, and most first years. The house was still divided, but as days passed and the trio continued showing their progress and conviction, the gape grew smaller between the two bands.

"I know most are eager to show their support to our party, but couldn't this be seen as a weakness too? What if they believe that we are looking for support from outside, because we haven't been able to recruit the majority of our House?"

Harry shook his head "I don't think that is likely to happen if we explain thing to everyone. Besides as the leaders of the movement, we must be seen doing what we are asking them to do."

Daphne raised an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from her tone "That was almost profound Potter."

Malfoy shrugged "Yes, well, because he has the mental abilities of a teaspoon, doesn't mean he can't have a few bright ideas every other year."

"Ha ha. You two are so _very_ funny."

"Why thank you" they chorused with equally wide sneers that caused the other boy to chuckle.

"Anyhow, back to topic. _I_ am going to do it, and I believe you two are –at the very least– intelligent enough to do as you see best."

"Don't worry, the git and me will back you up."

"Right!" and a moment later "_hey_!"

Daphne and Harry laughed together at Malfoy's delayed indignation

In the end, the trio decided to affront the challenge together.

And walked together toward the Ravenclaw table before the feast began. In the Professor's table, Harry noticed Snape looking intently at them, probably trying to decide whether intervene or not; therefore, Harry had to do something he would have never imagine in neither life. He winked at his Head of House… something that surprised the potions Professor, but was quick to recompose himself, nodding to him and pretending to look away.

"Are you lost, _Slytherin_?" an older girl hissed at them when she noticed that the three of them had stopped near their table.

Malfoy opened his mouth to retort but Daphne elbowed him.

"No, in fact" Harry's smile was rather amiable "We came here to chat."

The girl glared at him over her glasses "We don't need any snakes to pollute our air, _get out!_"

Harry shrugged "And here I thought that Ravenclaws were supposed to be smart" his voice full of mirth.

"_What did you say?_" the boy seating in front of the first girl jumped to his feet, with a face that showed just how much he wanted to strangle Harry "_are you implying-_"

"I'm not implying anything" Harry cut him with a nasty glare and his best '_no bullshit_' tone "I'm simply saying that if your really were as smart as you _say_ you are, you wouldn't reject the prospect of knowing more and better things just over some petty House points. _That_ is just plain stupid."

Both older boys were taken aback by the tone, and were slow to respond, something Draco took advantage of. "Just imagine all the books and sciences the purebloods have kept for themselves for centuries. Tomes of knowledge that haven't seen the day of light since the age of the Founders. Such knowledge shouldn't be wasted on a few, but-" he made a pause to smirk at Harry "It seems we were proven wrong for thinking that intelligence would rule over the Raven's house, instead of blindness."

Silently, Harry was amazed at his friend's manipulating skills before remembering just who his father was. Still, he hadn't really understood or appreciated the subtle art of manipulation before, thinking it was all subterfuge. And still, now he saw that it could _also_ be used for good. He had a mental image of Dumbledore and his machinations, and he thought he could finally understand why the old man had found it so difficult to say things clearly… this ability could easily become a habit.

Daphne sighed theatrically "It seems our good intentions are wasted here, let's go boys."

However, she hadn't even turned completely, before a younger Cho Chang asked from the other side of the table. "Wait, wait, wait. How can you tell that the tome is or not from the time of the founders?"

Malfoy waved it off "Well by the crest of arms of course. Besides, who else would sing a study on parsel-magic as _Salazar Slytherin_."

Harry was barely able to control his own surprise. Could the Malfoy's really have such book, or was it a bluff? Could it hold secrets and spells that had aided Voldemort in the past? He couldn't help but be intrigued, he wanted to read that book –if it even existed–, and see if there was anything that could help him in his fight against the monster.

As if by thinking about _him_ conjured his power, Harry felt a powerful pang of pain surging from the scar. He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose in an attempt to cover over his sudden tension, while he concentrated on reinforcing his occlumency shields, and going through the mantras and breathing exercises he had learnt from Sensei Black to block the pain; still it felt as if someone was hammering his skull with a hammer and a sharp point.

With his senses completely absorbed in the almost impossible task of stopping the pain and fighting back the blackness that began blocking his sight, Harry didn't know when Liz appeared on his right, allowing Daphne to pull him away from the scene, acting as if she wanted him to accompany her somewhere.

It wasn't until she pulled him into an unused classroom and blocked the door with any and every secrecy spell she knew, that his knees finally buckled and he felt to the floor crying in pain, his breathing exercises failing him for the first time.

He hit his forehead against a table and blood flowed from the open wound, finally giving him a chance to anchor himself on the pain of his body, and not the one from his mind. His agony subsided for a moment, before another wave assaulted him and shattered his defenses, dragging him into the darkness inside his head.

* * *

Daphne stared at the boy for a moment, as he trashed in the floor, before realizing that she really didn't know what to do, other that bringing him here, to a place where others couldn't see and judge. She moved to his side and tried holding him still before he hurt himself worse, only to find out that the boy's body was wired with strong muscles that were much stronger than hers.

Panicking, she cancelled the lock on the door and moved outside, intent on dragging Liz here; she was his sister, surely she had seen this before. However, she was so lost in her task that she didn't see the girl coming out of the girl's bathroom and crashed into her, sending them both tumbling to the floor.

"Hey!" the other girl complained at being suddenly tackled, but as she looked at the one responsible, she gasped "Daphne!"

The blond girl looked up and found herself staring down at Hermione Granger. And from the look of it, she had been crying.

Daphne, tried calming down, but knowing that Harry was alone and probably still in pain, she couldn't help the strangled sob that escaped her lips.

"Daphne, what's wrong?" Hermione asked concerned; she had never seen the Slytherin act like this… as a matter of fact she had never seen any Slytherin act this way before.

"It's Harry, I don't know what's wrong-"

At the mere mention of the boy, the Bushy-haired witch's face turned pale but determined "Oh no, tell me he's not having another nightmare." She mumbled under her breath before standing up and running to the end of the corridor, pulling her wand and shouting "_Point me Harry Potter!_"

"Hey wait!" Daphne stood up too, and followed Hermione until she found the classroom she had warded against indiscrete ears; and even watched in amazement as the Ravenclaw used some very rare spells to break her wards before running right to Harry's side, who lied panting on the floor and staring at the ceiling... the surprising thing wasn't that he had calmed down, or that the scar in his forehead was oozing some dark liquid; the thing that rooted her feet to the floor were his eyes… they were crimson red and slitted, as if they belonged to a creature rather than a boy.

* * *

Everything Harry could see, smell and sense was darkness so impenetrable that he was sure he was dead. And then, out of nowhere, a brilliant flash blinded him, burning a hazy image in the back of his eyes. A colossal demon made of fire and light and the shadow of a wizard with his hand pointing against it.

Somehow he knew that the man was terrified at the sight before him.

He would too.

But as fast as the light came it went, taking the darkness with it; and Harry was left panting on the cold floor with pain numbing his entire body.

"Oh Harry" a pained, sweet voice broke through his numbness like a blessing. "Not this again."

He felt a couple of hands pulling on his clothes and his body being shifted until he sat on the floor, where the same hands caressed his hair and the back of his neck, calming him.

"Hermione" he croaked, noticing the familiar taste of blood on his mouth.

"Shhh. I'm here." His best friend appeared before his eyes with tears on her eyes, and looking much younger than what he remembered. The girl embraced him, placing his head on the crook of her shoulder, the way she always did whenever he had had a nightmare during their stay at Grimmauld place, on what should have been their seventh year at Hogwarts. "I should have known." She added bitterly, hugging him a bit more tightly "should have known you would be the same as before. I'm sorry."

Harry tried reasoning her apology through the fog that clouded his mind. But It wasn't until he remembered being dead that his mind caught up with the present. Hermione was _holding_ him… the way she had done in _their previous life_.

He gasped and raised his head so quickly that he felt dizzy. But that didn't matter, what mattered was that Hermione, _his Hermione_ was holding him… her eyes red and puffy as she stared at him with an undeniable amount of love and care.

"Hermione, you, you-" he tried coughing to clean his throat, but did nothing but worsen it. She transfigured a book into a glass and then filled it with water with an '_aguamenti_' spell before handing it to him. He drank greedily and had to take another glass before he could speak again. "Hermione you-"

She smiled sadly "_I remember_ Harry. _Everything_."

His mind wasn't working and he could even feel his heart skipping a couple of beats, before his eyes were too brimming with tears "Hermione I- _I'm so sorry!_" he sobbed, apologizing because she had been raped, tortured and killed for helping him.

To his amazement, she giggled thought her tears "Silly boy. When will you stop blaming yourself for the deeds of others?" She sighed "I don't know how or why it happened, how we came back. But I have only gratitude now, because I understand that before the end _I loved you_." She bit her tongue playfully "And I _still_ do_._"

It was mind blowing. Something well beyond his comprehension. How could she love him even after what happened to her because of him?

And now, when the enemy inside his mind came back with a vengeance, when he was suffering from old, timeless wounds, she came to him with her love intact? Surely there was somebody in heaven looking out for him.

However, Hermione wasn't going to let him think any more for the moment because she wanted to make sure that what she had said was true; And to prove it to him too.

With her hands gently cupping his head, she sealed his lips with hers… and this time, he kissed her back.

So lost were they in their own feelings, that none of them noticed the sobbing of a broken hearted Daphne who had heard everything, and whose mind would soon be swimming with strange and dangerous questions.

* * *

Two lovers reunited in the face of war; and somewhere a timeless being smiled, knowing that the cogs of fate were turning now and that nothing would stop them again. There would be no more chances, no more opportunities, for this was an _Unavoidable War._


End file.
